The Urban Deployment Model: A Toolset for the Simulation and Performance Characterization of Radiation Detector Deployments in Urban Environments.

Static and mobile radiation detectors can be deployed in urban environments for a range of nuclear security applications, including radiological source search-and-tracking scenarios. Modeling detector performance for such applications is challenging, as it does not depend solely on the detector capabilities themselves. Many factors must be taken into consideration, including specific source and background signatures, the topology and constraints of the deployment environment, the presence of nuisance sources, and whether detectors are mobile or static. When considering the simultaneous deployment of multiple, heterogeneous detectors, assessment of the system-wide performance requires the simulation of the individual detectors, and a system-level analysis of the detection performance. In radiological source search-and-tracking scenarios, performance is mostly dominated by the probability of encounter, which depends on the specifics of a given deployment, e.g., static vs. mobile detectors or a combination of both modalities, the number of detectors deployed, the dynamic vs. static setting of false alarm rates, and individual vs. networked operation. The Urban Deployment Model (UDM) toolset was specifically developed to cover the gap in the available generic frameworks for the simulation of radiation detector deployments at city scales. UDM provides a unified and modular framework to support the simulation and performance characterization of heterogeneous detector deployments in urban environments. This paper presents the key components along the UDM workflow.

Bird Leg Skin Lesions and Urbanization in a Neotropical Savanna City.

Urban sprawl threatens biodiversity and is responsible for significant changes in the species that live in these environments. Given the high cost of comprehensive surveillance, monitoring disease indirectly, such as detecting skin lesions in birds, may help us better understand the prevalence of diseases affecting wild populations. We assessed the frequency of leg skin lesions, as a proxy of disease presence, in 1,565 individuals of 25 species, along the urban matrix of a large Neotropical city, Brasília, Federal District, Brazil. We tested the hypothesis that there is an increase in the frequency of skin lesions in birds due to urban intensification. We observed an increasing trend in some bird species between the frequency of occurrence of lesions and the intensity of urbanization. Species with a higher number of captures had an increase in the percentage of lesions, indicating that the occurrence of lesions may be linked to higher population density or that detection of the effect occurs only when sample sizes are high and controlled among urbanization categories. Our study highlights how the intensity of urbanization may increase the risk of disease transmission for these species. Unfortunately, studies on this topic are scarce in Neotropical regions, despite the region's high biodiversity and urban expansion.

Anthropogenic debris as nest material in three swift species: New insights into the interactions of atmospheric pollution with wildlife.

Plastic pollution has become a global concern, affecting many species around the world. While well-documented for marine ecosystems, the impact of plastic pollution on terrestrial ecosystems is comparatively limited. In fact, only recently have some studies begun to explore the occurrence, pathways, and impacts of plastic in the atmosphere and on terrestrial species. Here, we assess the presence of synthetic material in nests of three swift species breeding in the Western Palearctic: the common swift (Apus apus), the pallid swift (Apus pallidus), and the alpine swift (Tachymarptis melba). Using data from 487 nests spanning 25 colonies and seven European countries, we show that 36.5 % of the examined nests contained anthropogenic materials, mainly plastic debris. Notably, Pallid swifts' nests, with 85 % of the total nests examined with plastic, rank among birds with the highest plastic content in nests. We also demonstrate that the probability of finding plastic in the nest increased substantially with the human footprint of the landscape. Last, we recorded four cases of swifts entangled in their own nest, a low proportion compared to other species studied previously. Our study provides compelling evidence that plastic pollution may also be considered a concern for other terrestrial species, particularly for birds with highly aerial lifestyles, such as other swifts. The correlation with the human footprint suggests that areas with higher human activity contribute more significantly. Moreover, the entanglement cases, although low, indicate a threat to bird health and welfare. To our knowledge, our study is the first to report a direct interaction between floating plastic debris in the atmosphere and any species. Understanding this interaction is key, not only due to the lack of research on the topic, but also because it highlights that plastic pollution is a multifaceted environmental issue affecting various ecosystem categories, and the broader implications of atmospheric plastic circulation on wildlife and ecosystems health.

High precision blood lead radiogenic isotope signatures in a community exposed to Pb contaminated soils and implications for the current Pb exposure of the European population.

Our study provides the most comprehensive dataset for high-precision radiogenic isotopes of lead (Pb) in blood for the western European population. It investigates their potential for elucidating the contribution of soil Pb to blood Pb using a human biomonitoring survey involving 81 adults and 4 children living in the urban area of Liège (Belgium). Soils in the area show moderate (median of 360 mg/kg) to high (95th percentile of 1000 mg/kg) Pb concentrations, due to former metal processing activities. Blood lead levels (BLL) measured in the study population are, on average, quantitatively consistent with a âˆ¼ 20 % increase due to the exposure to Pb from soils, as estimated by a single-compartment biokinetic model. Consistently, its isotopic composition does not represent an endmember that fully accounts for the variability of Blood lead isotope (BLI) compositions measured in the study population. While some individuals show more thorogenic BLI ratios (relatively more enriched in 208Pb), which could be consistent with a greater exposure to local soils and/or by their country of birth, the BLI data mostly follow a trend roughly parallel to the European Standard Lead Pollution (ESLP) line, within the European leaded gasoline field, even two decades after the withdrawal of this source. Differences in BLI are probably associated with factors related to the presence of Pb in dwellings (pipes, paint) and drinking water distribution system, suggesting that the anthropogenic Pb in use, relevant to human exposure, may contain ore components of different origins, including the Australian Pb ore signature.

Current limitations and opportunities for improvements of agent-based transport models for noise exposure assessment.

Agent-based models represent a promising approach for simulating transport systems and assessing their environmental noise impact, potentially enhancing standard noise exposure assessments. However, it is very important to understand the relevance of these assessments within the context of models initially designed for transport studies. Then, this research investigates the utilization of agent-based transport models when coupled with environmental models to assess individual exposure to transport-related noise. This is achieved by proposing a method to evaluate this approach across four dimensions: spatial, temporal, individual, and activity patterns. This evaluation is demonstrated and discussed with an exemplification model applied in the Lyon Metropolitan Area using open-source tools (MATSim, EQASim, NoiseModelling), which is a representative framework of the current literature. The findings encompass a range of issues, including the conceptualization of exposure contexts and activity spaces, the resolution of the acoustic content, the disaggregation of data at the individual level, the variability in noise reactions, and the correlation structures between social and exposure profiles. The study contributes to the advancement of exposure assessment with insights for future improvements in the field. Further, it underscores the need for more quantitative analyses and scientific research into momentary noise exposure and social epidemiology.

Exploring People's Perception on Pros and Cons of Human-Bat Coexistence in Urban Environs in Southwestern Nigeria.

This research intricately explores the dynamics surrounding the coexistence of humans and roosting bats in urban areas, meticulously examining both the advantageous and detrimental aspects of their living arrangement. The study conducted a comprehensive survey with 286 residents in Iwo and Ogbomoso, where Eidolon helvum bats are known to roost, generating a robust dataset for thorough analysis. Rigorous statistical assessments, including the KMO and Bartlett's tests, confirmed the data's reliability at a significance level of P < .05. The respondent demographic revealed a predominance of 65% male participants, with an overwhelming 85% claiming familiarity with bats in their respective domains. Utilizing factor analysis, the study identified 8 salient variables from the initial 26, shedding light on diverse perceptions regarding bats: (i) Urban roosting (16.729%); (ii) Impact on tree growth (12.607%); (iii) Failed dislodgement attempts (11.504%); (iv) Medicinal value (10.240%); (v) Co-habitation preference (9.963%); (vi) Costly dislodgment consequences (9.963%); (vii) Beautification disruption (5.615%); and (viii) Structure defacement (5.510%). These factors were systematically categorized into 4 distinct themes: (A) Forced cohabitation (26.762%); (B) Environmental degradation by bats (23.732%); (C) Consequences of dislodging bats (21.477%); and (D) Acknowledged benefits of bats (10.240%). Co-habitation with bats becomes a necessity for ecological balance and, importantly, to safeguard the livelihood of roosting bats within their natural ecology, which man has encroached upon through urbanization, making all negatives arising from such existence self-inflicted by man. However, this study underscores the importance of human-bat cohabitation for mutual benefits, emphasizing potential detrimental consequences, including significant costs, associated with displacing bats from their natural ecosystem. These consequences may exacerbate the impacts of climate change, environmental degradation, and ecological imbalance. Further research is recommended to explore the positive aspects of the sustainable roosting bats' existence in the natural environment.

Appraisal of microplastic pollution and its related risks for urban indoor environment in Bangladesh using machine learning and diverse risk evolution indices.

The widespread presence of Microplastics (MPs) is increasing in the indoor environment due to increasing annual plastic usage, which is becoming a global threat to human health. Therefore, this is the first research in Bangladesh to identify, and characterize, MP pollution and its allied threats to human health in the indoor urban environment, where 80 household dust samples were collected from the whole study area. The presence of MPs in household dust of the urban indoor environment was 25.8 ± 6.43 particles/g with a significant variety, whereas the fiber shape (73%), 0.5-1.00 mm ranged MPs size (58%), blue color (21%), and polystyrene polymer (34%) was the most ubiquitous MPs category. The pollution load index (1.61-2.96) indicated significant pollution due to the high abundance of MPs. Besides, other risks evaluating indices including contamination factor (1.00-3.51), and Nemerow pollution index (1.60-3.51) represent moderate to high MP-induced pollution. The polymer hazard index (119.54 ± 70.34) indicated significant risks for the selected polymers to the indoor environment living inhabitants. Machine learning approaches, especially random forest and support random vector machine were effective in predicting the number of MPs, where EC, salinity, pH, OC, and texture classes acted as controlling factors. Children and adults might be ingesting 4.12 ± 1.01 and 2.27 ± 0.57 particles/day through the ingestion exposure route, which has significant health effects. Polymer-associated lifetime cancer risk assessment results show that there are moderate risks for both adults and children, but children tend to be more susceptible to MP risks. The overall study found that Dhaka was the most severely MPs induced risky division among the others. This study reveals that high quantities of MPs in indoor environments could pose a serious health hazard' to different exposure groups.

Urban environment exposures, energy balance-related behaviors and their combination in preschoolers from three European countries.

BACKGROUND: Urban environments are characterized by many factors that may influence children's energy balance-related behaviors (EBRBs), but there is limited research on the impact of prospective exposure to multiple urban factors in preschoolers. We evaluated prospective associations between various urban exposures and EBRBs in preschoolers across Europe, with EBRBs considered both individually and combined into lifestyle patterns. METHODS: We used data from 4,073 preschoolers (aged 3-4 years) participating in three European cohorts from the EU Child Cohort Network: BiB (United Kingdom), EDEN (France), and INMA (Spain). Eighteen built and food environment, green spaces, road traffic and ambient air pollution exposures were characterized at residential addresses. Various EBRBs were considered as the outcomes including screen time, sleep duration and diet (fruit, vegetables, discretionary sweet foods, sweet beverages) individually and combined into unhealthy lifestyle patterns, using principal components analysis. Associations between urban exposures and outcomes were estimated using a single-exposure analysis and the deletion-substitution-addition algorithm was used to construct multi-exposure models. RESULTS: In multi-exposure models, greater walkability and smaller distance to the nearest road were associated with higher scores on the unhealthy lifestyle patterns. Likewise, greater walkability was associated with higher screen time and more frequent discretionary sweet food consumption. A smaller distance to the nearest road was also associated with lower sleep duration and more frequent sweet beverages consumption. On the other hand, higher levels of street connectivity showed an inverse association with the unhealthy lifestyle patterns. In the same vein, greater street connectivity was associated with decreased screen time. CONCLUSION: This comprehensive examination of multiple urban exposures indicates that residing in walkable environments and in close proximity to roads in densely-populated areas may not be advantageous for children EBRBs, while residing in neighborhoods with higher street connectivity appears to supposedly be beneficial.

Accumulation of airborne microplastics on leaves of different tree species in the urban environment.

Microplastics (MPs) are omnipresent in the environment and they are linked to ecosystem and human health problems. The atmospheric transport of MPs and the role of tree leaves in MP atmospheric deposition has not been adequately studied. MP concentrations on the leaves of different tree species in urban regions of the Netherlands and Portugal, along with related MP deposition, were investigated in this study. We collected leaves from cedar, eucalyptus, oak, pine and willow trees, together with monthly deposition of particles under the trees and in the open space in Coimbra (Portugal). In Wageningen (the Netherlands), we collected leaves from a fir and a holly tree at different heights above the ground and with dry and wet weather conditions. MPs were extracted through density separation and quantified under a microscope. Polymer types were identified using µ-FTIR. The results showed a higher number of MP particles on the needle-shaped leaves from fir (2.52 ± 2.14 particles·cm-2) and pine (0.5 ± 0.13 particles·cm-2) and significantly lower numbers of MPs per cm2 of leaf area on the bigger leaves from eucalyptus (0.038 ± 0.003 particles·cm-2) and cedar (0.037 ± 0.002 particles·cm-2). All tree leaves seemed to filter airborne MPs, especially the smallest particles. A non-significantly higher number of particles on leaves was detected on lower tree branches and after dry periods. The deposition of MPs under trees was generally higher than in the open space. Our results indicated that part of the MPs retained by the tree leaves floats down to lower branches and to the soil surface. We also saw that different tree species had different capacities to retain particles on their leaves over time. To control the transport of MPs through the atmosphere, it is essential to consider the role of different vegetation types in filtering small particles, especially in cities.

Prenatal Urban Environment and Blood Pressure Trajectories From Childhood to Early Adulthood.

Background: Prenatal urban environmental exposures have been associated with blood pressure in children. The dynamic of these associations across childhood and later ages is unknown. Objectives: The purpose of this study was to assess associations of prenatal urban environmental exposures with blood pressure trajectories from childhood to early adulthood. Methods: Repeated measures of systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) were collected in up to 7,454 participants from a UK birth cohort. Prenatal urban exposures (n = 43) covered measures of noise, air pollution, built environment, natural spaces, traffic, meteorology, and food environment. An exposome-wide association study approach was used. Linear spline mixed-effects models were used to model associations of each exposure with trajectories of blood pressure. Replication was sought in 4 independent European cohorts (up to 9,261). Results: In discovery analyses, higher humidity was associated with a faster increase (mean yearly change in SBP for an interquartile range increase in humidity: 0.29 mm Hg/y, 95% CI: 0.20-0.39) and higher temperature with a slower increase (mean yearly change in SBP per interquartile range increase in temperature: -0.17 mm Hg/y, 95% CI: -0.28 to -0.07) in SBP in childhood. Higher levels of humidity and air pollution were associated with faster increase in DBP in childhood and slower increase in adolescence. There was little evidence of an association of other exposures with change in SBP or DBP. Results for humidity and temperature, but not for air pollution, were replicated in other cohorts. Conclusions: Replicated findings suggest that higher prenatal humidity and temperature could modulate blood pressure changes across childhood.

Air quality improvements from a transport modal change in the São Paulo megacity.

Air quality and urban mobility are complex socioenvironmental issues faced by megacities, particularly those in the Global South. Investments in efficient and inclusive public transport networks, as well as encouraging active transport modals, can mitigate both traffic congestion and air pollution, leading to improved quality of life. Few studies have integrated the potential effects of a well-developed rail network in influencing modal choice - from motorised to active transport - and their impacts on pollutant emission and air quality through dynamic air quality models. In the megacity of São Paulo, the expansion of the subway system has not achieved the planned targets, as intended by state government plans. This induces the question "What would have happened to air pollution if planned stations had been properly implemented?" which this paper aims to answer, through the increased adoption of cycling or walking to and from railway stations. We applied the WRF-Chem air quality model to model the effects of railway development in a megacity, focusing on criteria pollutants. Results show that the more investments there are in public transport, by expanding the metro system, the more expressive are the decreases in air pollution, and the farther these benefits spread out spatially. More intense reductions in pollutant concentrations are predicted to occur near the new stations' buffers, but citizens living far from the metro stations will also benefit from these improvements. Additionally, modal change from car to walking/cycling and subway in all trips within a radius of 1.3 km centered in existing and planned stations is expected to result in a decrease of 11.7 % in CO2eq vehicular emissions. Therefore, improvements in public transportation could help improving environmental and social justice, leading to better air quality and transport accessibility, decreasing public health problems and costs, while helping cities reach their GEE emissions reduction targets.

Living in urban or rural environments affect the sleep quality of the elderly in Bushehr (Southern Iran): emphasizing the active and inactive of the elderly.

INTRODUCTION: Sleep disorders have a significant negative impact on mental and physical health, especially among the elderly. Various factors can affect the sleep quality of elderly people. The aim of this research to investigate the effect of urban and rural environments on the sleep quality of elderly people with emphasis on physical activity. METHOD: Four hundred and thirty-nine elderly people (226 city residents and 213 village residents) in urban and rural areas of Bushehr (Southern Iran), volunteered to participate in the present study. Information was collected via the General information questionnaire and Petersburg Sleep Questionnaire. RESULT: The results showed that active elderly women (p < 0.001), and total active elderly (male + female) (p < 0.001) living in urban areas compared to inactive elderly and also in rural areas active elderly women (p < 0.001), active elderly men (p < 0.001) and total active elderly (male + female) (p < 0.001) had better overall sleep quality in compared to inactive elderly. Also, elderly men (p < 0.001) and the total elderly (male + female) (p < 0.001) living in urban areas had better sleep quality than the elderly in rural areas. CONCLUSION: Based on the findings, it can be concluded that the way of life (being active) as well as the living environment can affect the sleep quality of elderly people, so that active elderly people and also elderly people living in urban environments had better sleep quality.

Individual and Interactive Effects of Housing and Neighborhood Quality on Mental Health in Hong Kong: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

Existing literature has widely explored the individual roles of housing and neighborhood quality, and there is limited research examining their interactive effects on mental health. This 3-year cohort study utilized a longitudinal design to investigate the individual and interactive effects of housing and neighborhood quality on mental health among 962 community-dwelling adults in Hong Kong. Participants were asked to rate their residential qualities over the 3-year period. Mental health outcomes, including levels of psychological distress and common mental disorders (CMD), were assessed using the Revised Clinical Interview Schedule (CIS-R). Logistic regression and generalized linear models were used to examine the association between housing and neighborhood quality and CMD/psychological distress, adjusting for sociodemographic and residential characteristics and baseline mental disorders. Housing quality was associated with the 3-year CMD (adjusted OR 0.95; 95% CI 0.91 to 0.98). Likewise, neighborhood quality was associated with CMD over 3 years (adjusted OR 0.92; 95% CI 0.87 to 0.96). In a separate model including both quality measures, the effect of housing quality on CMD was attenuated, whereas the neighborhood impact remained significant (adjusted OR 0.92; 95% CI 0.87 to 0.98). Generalized linear models indicated that for participants residing in substandard housing, those with high neighborhood quality had lower CIS-R scores at follow-up compared to those with low neighborhood quality (p = 0.041). Better neighborhood quality alleviated the detrimental effects of poor housing quality on mental health. Planning for an enhanced neighborhood would improve population mental health in an urban environment.

Potentially toxic elements in urban soils of the coastal city of the Sea of Azov: Levels, sources, pollution and risk assessment.

Coastal cities are major centers of economic activity, which at the same time has negative consequences for the environment. The present study aimed to determine the concentrations and sources of PTEs in the urban soils of Taganrog, as well as to assess the ecological and human health risks. A total of 47 urban and 5 background topsoils samples were analyzed by ICP-MS and ICP-AES. A significant excess of Cu, Zn, and Sb was noted in urban soils compared to the upper continental crust and average world-soil (1.7-2.9 times). Statistical analysis showed that the elements in soils were of geogenic, mixed and anthropogenic origin. According to the single pollution index (PI), the greatest danger of soil pollution was represented by anthropogenic elements, namely Cu, W, Pb, Zn, Cd, and Sn, the levels of which were increased in residential and industrial areas. The median contents of As, Mn, Cr, Sr, Mo, Sb, Cu, W, Pb, and Zn were 1.1-2.1 times higher, while Cd and Sn were 2.5 folds higher in the urban soils compared to the background ones. The total pollution index (ZC) showed that only 15% of the soils had high level of pollution, which is typical for the industrial areas. Overall ecological risks were negligible or low in 92% of soils, and were mainly due to elevated levels of Cu, Zn, As, and Pb. Non-carcinogenic risks to humans were mainly related to exposure to La and Pb. The hazard index (HI) values for all PTEs were less than ten, indicating that overall non-carcinogenic risk for adults and children was low-to-moderate and, moderate, respectively. The total carcinogenic risk (TCR) exceeded threshold and corresponded to low risk, with Pb, As, and Co being the most important contributors. Thus, the industrial activities of Taganrog is the main source of priority pollutants.

Organochlorine pesticide contamination of soils and dust from an urban environment in the Niger Delta of Nigeria.

The concentrations, sources, and risk of twenty organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) in soils and dusts from a typical urban setting in the Niger Delta of Nigeria were examined. The Σ20 OCP concentrations (ng g-1) varied from 4.49 to 150 with an average value of 32.6 for soil, 4.67 to 21.5 with an average of 11.7 for indoor dust, and 1.6 to 96.7 with an average value of 23.5 for outdoor dust. The Σ20 OCP concentrations in these media were in the order: soil > outdoor dust > indoor dust, which was in contrast with the order of the detection frequency, i.e., indoor dust (95 to 100 %) > soil (60 to 90 %) > outdoor dust (30 to 80 %). The concentrations of the different OCP classes in these media followed the order: aldrin + dieldrin + endrin and its isomers (Drins) > chlordanes > dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDTs) > hexachlorocyclohexane (HCHs) > endosulfans for outdoor dust and soil, while that of the indoor dust followed the order: Drins > chlordanes > endosulfans > DDTs > HCHs. The cancer risk values for human exposure to OCPs in these sites exceeded 10-6 which indicates possible carcinogenic risks. The sources of OCPs in these media reflected both past use and recent inputs.

Application of machine learning and multivariate approaches for assessing microplastic pollution and its associated risks in the urban outdoor environment of Bangladesh.

Microplastics (MPs) are an emerging global concern due to severe toxicological risks for ecosystems and public health. Therefore, this is the first study in Bangladesh to assess MP pollution and its associated risks for ecosystems and human health in the outdoor urban environment using machine learning and multivariate approaches. The occurrences of MPs in the urban road dust were 52.76 ± 20.24 particles/g with high diversity, where fiber shape (77%), 0.1-0.5 mm size MPs (75%), blue color (26%), and low-density polyethylene (24%) polymer was the dominating MPs category. Pollution load index value (1.28-4.42), showed severe pollution by MPs. Additionally, the contamination factor (1.00-5.02), and Nemerow pollution index (1.38-5.02), indicate moderate to severe MP pollution. The identified polymers based on calculated potential ecological risk (2248.52 ± 1792.79) and polymer hazard index (814.04 ± 346.15) showed very high and high risks, respectively. The occurrences of MPs could effectively be predicted by random forest, and support random vector machine, where EC, salinity, pH, OC, and texture classes were the influencing parameters. Considering the human health aspect, children and adults could be acutely exposed to 19259.68 and 5777.90 MP particles/ year via oral ingestion. Monte-Carlo-based polymers associated cancer risk assessment results indicate moderate risk and high risk for adults and children, respectively, where children were more vulnerable than adults for MP pollution risks. Overall assessment mentioned that Dhaka was the most polluted division among the other divisions.

Assessing sustainable waste management practices in Rajshahi City Corporation: an analysis for local government enhancement using IoT, AI, and Android technology.

This study addresses the pressing challenge of inefficient waste management practices within the Rajshahi City Corporation (RCC), Bangladesh. Despite rapid urbanization and escalating waste generation rates, RCC struggles with diverse waste disposal practices, limited supervision, irregular waste collection schedules, and inadequate disposal infrastructure. In this context, this study examines the possible improvements that could be made by combining the Internet of Things (IoT), artificial intelligence (AI), and Android application to improve waste management methods in the RCC. The study's foundation is a vast amount of information gathered from residents, with particular attention paid to waste disposal methods, the role of the local government, the frequency of waste collection, and public attitudes toward waste management. The results point to a complicated waste management environment with a range of waste disposal practices, little supervision, irregular waste collection, and insufficient disposal methods. The importance of RCC in waste management is emphasized, highlighting the need for proactive measures including effective monitoring, constant waste collection, and routine drain cleaning. Additionally, it is suggested that combining IoT, AI, and Android technology is a possible way to improve waste management procedures. These technologies have the potential to increase productivity, lessen their negative effects on the environment, and produce cleaner, more sustainable urban environments.

Smartphone-based ecological momentary assessment reveals an incremental association between natural diversity and mental wellbeing.

Using smartphone-based ecological momentary assessment, this study investigated an association between natural diversity on mental wellbeing. A sample of 1,998 participants completed 41,448 assessments between April 2018 and September 2023. Environments which included a larger range of natural features, such as trees, plants and birdlife (high natural diversity) were associated with greater mental wellbeing than environments including a smaller range of natural features (low natural diversity). There was evidence of a mediating effect of natural diversity on the association between natural environments and mental wellbeing. These results highlight the importance of policies and practices that support richness of biodiversity for public mental health.

Associations between environmental perception and self-rated health in the city hierarchy of China: Findings from a national cross-sectional survey.

Identifying environmental determinants of health and clarifying their variations is crucial for health promotion in different cities by providing tailored intervention strategies. Although the association between perceived urban environment and health (e.g., self-rated health) has been repeatedly explored, most studies have focused on cities of a specific size, and it is still unknown whether either significant environment variables or the magnitude of the association would vary across different-sized cities. This study investigated how perceived urban environment variables significantly associated with individuals' self-rated health varied from small cities to mega cities in China, based on a national survey including 5963 valid respondents. The results showed that the relationship between self-rated health and city size was U-shaped, with respondents in medium and large cities reporting a low-level self-rated health. Perceived greenness, public facilities, housing supply, and medical services were positively and significantly associated with self-rated health, with the odds ratio (OR) of 1.37 (95%CI: 1.29-1.46), 1.27 (95%CI: 1.19-1.35), 1.14 (95%CI: 1.09-1.20), and 1.17 (95%CI: 1.10-1.24), respectively. Furthermore, the magnitude of the association was significantly larger in mega cities. These findings provide useful evidence for promoting public health in cities of different sizes for achieving health equity and indicate that smaller cities and their health-supportive environment need further attention.

The impact of urban rain on the changes of bare and artificially patinated bronze during 9-year exposure.

Atmospheric pollutants in the air form acid rain which interacts with bronze surfaces exposed in urban outdoor environment. In this study, different types of patinas on bronze were investigated during and after 9 years of exposure to urban environment in moderately polluted continental city. Natural bronze patina and artificial brown sulphide, green chloride, and green-blue nitrate patinas were investigated. Visual assessment was carried out at defined periods. After 9 years of exposure, an electrochemical study was performed to investigate the electrochemical activity of the patinas in artificial urban rain. Additionally, the patinas were characterised using a variety of techniques, including metallographic examination, scanning electron microscopy/energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction analysis, X-ray-photoelectron spectroscopy, and time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry to analyse the surface morphology, chemical composition, and stratigraphic features of the patinas. Evolution of the patinas was shown to be a result of both, the composition of the acid rain and the hydrophobicity of the patinated surfaces.