Leachate reduction and pollution control strategies for landfills in hilly areas based on site condition analysis and numerical simulation.

Landfill is an important means of municipal solid waste treatment. Previous studies have shown that the combination of "cut-off wall and pumping well" technology is an effective measure to deal with the leachate emission reduction and pollution control of landfill, and has been widely used in plain areas. However, for landfills in hilly areas with complex terrain and geological conditions, there is still a lack of clear and referable ideas and operational strategies for leachate emission reduction and pollution control. In this study, we proposed strategies for determining the position and depth of cut-off walls and pumping wells and reasonable combinations of the cut-off wall depth and pumping quantity for leachate reduction and pollution prevention of landfills in hilly areas. The determination of leachate reduction and pollution control strategy need to be achieved in two stages, qualitative and quantitative: (1) In the qualitative stage, the natural conditions (Weathering degree, groundwater flow characteristics, topography condition, hydrometeor condition, and aquifer thickness) and engineering conditions (Operation status, landfill location, and excavation status) of the study area are analysed in detail, and then the depth range and location of the cut-off wall and pumping well are determined. (2) In the quantitative stage, we need to quantify the combination of the cut-off wall depth and pumping quantity by using profile particle tracing and pollutant transport modelling. A reasonable cut-off wall depth needs to control the leakage of pollutants inside the wall, and a reasonable pumping quantity needs to ensure that the depth of the pollutant distribution is equivalent to the depth of the separation line, which separates the water flow towards the pumping well and the water flow downstream. (3) The effectiveness of the leachate reduction and prevention strategies proposed in this study was verified through an example of a landfill in Northeast China. This study provides a reference and operation method for leachate emission reduction and pollution control of landfills in hilly areas.

Characteristics and outcomes of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in a hilly area: Utstein Registry data from the Nagasaki Medical Region, Japan.

Aim: To analyze characteristics and investigate prognostic indicators of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) in a hilly area in Japan. Methods: A retrospective population-based study was conducted using the Utstein Registry for 4280 OHCA patients in the Nagasaki Medical Region (NMR) registered over the 10-year period from 2011 to 2020. The main outcome measure was a favorable cerebral performance category (CPC 1-2). Sites at which OHCA occurred were classified into "sloped places (SPs)" (not easily accessible by emergency medical services [EMS] personnel due to slopes) and "accessible places (APs)" (EMS personnel could park an ambulance close to the site). The characteristics and prognosis based on CPC were compared between SPs and APs, and multivariable analysis was performed. Results: No significant improvement in prognosis occurred in the NMR from 2011 to 2020. Prognosis in SPs was significantly worse than that in APs. However, multivariable analysis did not identify SP as a prognostic indicator. The following factors were associated with survival and CPC 1-2: age group, witness status, first documented rhythm, bystander-initiated cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and automated external defibrillator (AED) use, use of mechanical CPR (m-CPR) device or esophageal obturator airway (EOA), and year. Both m-CPR and EOA use were associated with a poor prognosis. Conclusion: In a hilly area, OHCA patients in SPs had a worse prognosis than those in APs, but SPs was not significantly associated with prognosis by multivariable analysis. Interventions to increase bystander-initiated CPR and AED use could potentially improve outcomes of OHCA in the NMR.

Evolution of rates, patterns, and driving forces of green eco-spaces in a subtropical hilly region.

Monitoring ecological resource change in mountainous and hilly areas (MHAs) is vital for theoretical and practical advancements of ecological resource utilization and management in complex ecosystems. The factors driving structural and functional changes in green eco-spaces (GES) in these areas are complex and uncertain, with notable spatial scale effects. However, analyzing the multi-scale driving mechanisms of ecological and socioeconomic factors at a fine spatiotemporal scale presents significant challenges. To address these challenges, we analyzed dynamic changes in GES and eco-socio-economic development in Shanghang County, a typical mountainous region in southern China. We used multiple linear regression and multi-scale geographically weighted regression model to identify key factors driving GES changes and their multi-scale effects at both global and local levels. Over the past two decades, the GES area in the study area has exhibited a consistent pattern of decline, characterized by phases of gradual decline (2000-2005), sharp decline (2005-2009), slow decline (2009-2019). Key global factors driving GES changes included elevation (ELE), slope (SLOPE), population density (PD), distance to settlements (SETTLE), and distance to administrative centers (ADMIN). These factors exhibited significant spatial heterogeneity and multi-scale effects on GES changes. Specifically, SETTLE, PD, SLOPE, and ELE consistently drove GES changes at the local level, while ADMIN only showed significant localized effects during 2005-2009. The synergy between SETTLE and SLOPE had a considerable impact on GES changes, increasing over time, whereas ELE and PD demonstrated a consistent trade-off effect. These findings provide detailed spatiotemporal insights into the driving mechanisms of natural ecological resources, offering crucial guidance for environmental management, land source management, regional economic development, and biodiversity conservation in Shanghang and analogous subtropical hilly regions worldwide.

Overview of municipal solid waste management in sub-tropical climatic region of North Eastern India.

Municipal solid waste management (MSWM) is perceived as a global issue regardless of the place of waste generation. The amount of unmanaged waste is increasing rapidly, along with its impact on the environment and human health. In hilly areas, specifically the North Eastern Region (NER) states of India, due to the unique topography coupled with socio-economic factors, there are inadequate waste management practices marked by insufficient infrastructure, minimal research studies, and limited data availability. This paper comprehensively reviews the existing status of MSWM practices and waste treatment technologies, identifies the challenges, and discusses the prospective approaches for MSWM in NER states of India. NER, is characterized by its hilly terrain and has the most diverse demographic profile in the country. The study highlights the notable increase in waste generation in the urban population in NER. The total amount of waste generated in NER is about 2907 tons per day, with a collection rate of 86.96%, treatment at 31.09%, and landfilling at 33.67%. The biodegradable fraction makes up the majority of waste composition (more than 50%) in NER, followed by recyclables and inert. The existing MSWM consists of waste collection, transportation, and disposal with limited source segregation and treatment. All the states of NER practice open dumping and burning as the primary waste treatment and disposal system. The study discusses the challenges and prospects to ensure effective MSWM in NER. This review is a region-specific study that considers cultural diversity, topography, and socio-economic dynamics. The outcome of this review will be helpful to the researchers and policymakers in making appropriate waste management plans and improve the MSWM system in NER.

Health risk cause of water around landfill in hilly area and prevention and control countermeasures.

Evaluating the health risks of the groundwater and surface water in landfill areas is of great significance to the health and safety of local residents. The current practice of health risk assessment is based only on the analysis results of groundwater and surface water samples, which reflect the current situation of water security in landfill areas. However, due to the neglect of risk causes analysis, thus a health risk assessment is insufficient to provide rigorous scientific countermeasures for risk prevention and control. The health risks caused by groundwater and surface water is mainly controlled by the water quality, which is comprehensively controlled by the conditions of its formation and evolution. When a landfill site is located in a hilly area, the environmental characteristics, causes, main controlling factors, and evolution processes of the surface water and groundwater in different parts of the catchment are significantly different. This study used a municipal solid waste landfill area in a hilly area as an example and defined the causes and main controlling factors of regional health risks caused by water based on an analysis of the characteristics of natural and anthropogenic factors affecting the groundwater and surface water. Then, prevention and control countermeasures were proposed for health risks caused by water in different parts of the landfill area. This study provides a method for the causes analysis and prevention and control countermeasures of health risks caused by water in municipal solid waste landfills in hilly areas.

Impact of air pollution on human health in different geographical locations of Nepal.

According to a recent survey, Nepal's urban air quality has been classified as one of the worst in the globe. A large portion of the country's population is subjected to health risks caused by air pollution. As Nepal has a wide variation in altitude coupled with socio-cultural and biological diversities, it is important to understand the different health hazards in the different geographical regions - Terai, Hills and Mountains. Constantly increasing physical infrastructures (such as transport vehicles, open burning of plastics and other fuels) are the main reasons for the escalating air pollution in the country. This study aims to critically review the current air pollution status in different geographical locations along with its impacts on public health in the country. It has been revealed that irrespective of geographic location, the air pollutants interfere with different human physiological systems related to respiration as well as cardiovascular, ophthalmic, and gastrointestinal functioning. Further, the research findings highlighting the influence of prolonged exposure of the population to the air pollution leading to the significant number of deaths have been presented. A notable rise in the number of hospitalized patients suffering from illnesses related to above mentioned pollution borne cases has been reported.

[Effect of the Process of Returning Farmland to Forest in the Loess Hilly Area on Soil Fungal Communities].

The conversion of farmland to forest significantly affects soil bacterial communities in the Loess Plateau. However, how soil fungal communities respond to the conversion of farmland to forest is not very clear in this region. To illustrate the problem, the loess hilly area located in Jiajiayao, Youyu County, Shanxi Province was taken as the study area, and soil from farmland (growing corn and millet) and artificial forest (growing sea buckthorn and Caragana) were sampled. Based on 18S rRNA high-throughput sequencing, the effect of the conversion of farmland to forest on soil fungal communities was investigated. Ascomycota dominated (61.03%-78.06%) in both farmland and forest soil, followed by Mucoromycota (12.11%-17.13%) and Basidiomycota (6.15%-18.42%). The relative abundance of other fungal phyla, such as Chytridiomycota, was low. At the genus level, the conversion of farmland to forest significantly affected the abundance of Chaetomium, Mortierella, Fusarium, and Geoglossum. Plant pathogenic fungi belonging to Fusarium were enriched in farmland. The results of non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) and analysis of similarity (ANOSIM) showed that the conversion of farmland to forest significantly affected soil fungal communities in the hilly area of the Loess Plateau. Differences in the community structure were closely related to changes in soil physicochemical properties. Available phosphorus was particularly the main driving factor affecting soil fungal communities. These results can provide scientific references for the ecological benefit evaluation of vegetation restoration in the loess hilly area.

[Evaluation of Heavy Metal Content, Sources, and Potential Ecological Risks in Soils of Southern Hilly Areas].

In order to explore the characteristics of soil heavy metal pollution and ecological risk status in southern hilly areas, a hilly area of a southern province was selected as the research area, using soil samples collected at 60 points in 2017. The single factor pollution index (Pi), Nemero comprehensive pollution index, and potential ecological risk index (RI) were used to evaluate the content characteristics and potential ecological risks of eight heavy metal elements (As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Ni, Pb, and Zn), and positive definite matrix factor analysis models (PMF) were used to analyze their sources of pollution. The results were as follows:① the content of eight heavy metal elements in the study area exceeded the standard, and the Nemeiro comprehensive pollution index showed that the proportions of light, moderate, and heavy pollution in the study area were 63%, 8%, and 2%, respectively. Unpolluted and lightly polluted samples accounted for 27% and were thus basically lightly polluted. ②The comprehensive potential ecological risk index showed that the RI of soil heavy metals was 39.58-224.15, the proportions of samples with low and medium ecological risks were 73.33% and 25%, respectively, and the proportion of sites with severe ecological risks was 1.67%. Although this site had the highest ecological risk, the content of heavy metals was lower than the background value of soil elements in the province. ③Six pollution sources were obtained through the PMF model:natural sources, agricultural activity sources, mixed sources composed of copper mining and transportation, industrial activity sources, transportation sources, and domestic waste emission sources. The contribution rates of each source were 24.8%, 17.7%, 17.7%, 17.6%, 12.0%, and 10.2%, respectively.

[Output Characteristics and Driving Mechanism of Agricultural Non-point Source (AGNPS) Pollutant in Plain and Valley Region of Upper Yangtze River, China].

Research on the pattern and mechanism of agricultural non-point source (AGNPS) pollution in rural areas is of great significance to the governance of the regional ecological environment. This study took the plain and hilly area of the upper Yangtze River as the research area, relied on multivariate data, and used a pollutant measurement method based on spatial distance correction, and Kriging interpolation and logistic regression methods (LR) were used to study the emission pattern and impact mechanism of AGNPS pollutants. The results showed that the total emissions of COD, BOD5, NH4+-N, TN, and TP increased by 15.46×104, 25.66×104, 3.49×104, 1.26×104, and 0.38×104 t, respectively, and the emissions of these five pollutants had strong spatial regularity from 2005 to 2015. The Chengdu Plain, the hills in central Sichuan, and the parallel ridge valley farming areas in eastern Sichuan were the high-value areas, whereas urban areas and hinterland of the Three Gorges Reservoir (TGRA) were low-value areas. The risk levels of COD, BOD5, and NH4+-N increased; TN pollution was more serious; and the emission risk level was gradually increasing. The emission risk of TP was high and had a tendency to continue to deteriorate. The overall risk level was in a spatial pattern of "high in the middle and low in the surrounding area," with extremely high and second-highest risk levels in a mosaic distribution. The Chengdu Plain and the Parallel Ridge and Valley areas in eastern Sichuan were high-risk clusters. The main driving factors of non-point source pollution from 2005 to 2010 were grain output, livestock and poultry production, and the number of rural populations, which were categorized as "production-driven" GDP and annual average precipitation were the main driving factors, which were categorized as "production and life synergy-driven." These results can provide a basis for analyzing the driving mechanism and prevention and control of NPSP in the hilly area of the upper Yangtze River.

[Effects of Biochar on Soil Organic Carbon of Eroded Cultivated Layer of Slope Farmland in Purple Hilly Area].

Soil organic carbon (SOC) is the largest carbon pool in the terrestrial ecosystem. It is not only the core index of cultivated land soil quality evaluation but also an important part of the global carbon cycle. In order to understand the response characteristics of SOC in the cultivated layer to the interaction of soil erosion and management measures, the eroded cultivated layer of typical purple soil slope farmland in the Three Gorges Reservoir area was the research object. The in-situ tests of five erosion degrees on sloping farmland were established using the shovel erosion simulation test method; taking no fertilizer (CK) as a control measure, two types of restorative management measures were set up, namely chemical fertilizer (F) and biochar+chemical fertilizer (BF), to clarify the differences in SOC content under different erosion degrees and management measures and to analyze the variation characteristics and interannual variation trend of SOC along the cultivated-layer profile. The results showed that:① BF significantly increased the soil organic carbon content in the cultivated layer of purple soil slope farmland; the SOC of BF was 90.25% and 23.84% higher than that of CK and F on average, respectively. Soil erosion significantly reduced the content of SOC (12.25%-27.74%) under CK measures, but there was no significant difference in the profile distribution of SOC under different erosion degrees. ② The SOC content in the surface layer (0-10 cm) of slope farmland was the highest, and the two measures had the most obvious effect on improving the SOC contents, which were 120.59% and 66.90%, respectively. ③ After three consecutive years of experiments, the SOC content in the cultivated-layer of slope farmland changed significantly. Under CK, the average annual loss of SOC was 12.52%, whereas under BF, the average annual increase in SOC content was 9.31%. ④ The correlation between SOC and soil physical and chemical properties was different in the various soil layers; the deeper the soil layer was, the weaker the correlation was. Therefore, biochar combined with chemical fertilizer (BF) was an important management measure to improve the erosive cultivated layer and enhance soil fertility for slope farmland in the purple hilly area. The results of this study can provide basic parameters for the rational regulation of cultivated layers and the improvement of soil fertility.

Pollution in the interflow from a simple landfill in a mountainous and hilly area in Southwest China.

Simple landfills lack pollution prevention measures and therefore continuously release pollutants into the surrounding environment. There are a large number of simple landfills in the mountainous and hilly areas in China, and the interflow accounts for a large proportion of runoff. However, the pollution in the interflow stemming from the simple landfill has not been extensively studied. Here, the pollution of the interflow caused by the simple landfill near the Yunxi Town Landfill in the mountainous and hilly region in Southwest China was studied. The composition and pollution release potential of aged refuse in the landfill were determined, and the water quality of interflow around the landfill was monitored for five months. Seasonal changes in water quality of the interflow were observed, and the concentration of pollutants in the interflow around the simple landfill greatly exceeded the water quality standard for the local water function zoning throughout the sampling period. Specifically, the chemical oxygen demand concentrations of the interflow were 247.90 ± 81.57 mg/L, and more than 50 types of refractory organics were detected, with as many as 10 types of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and Environmental Protection Agency priority pollutants. The total nitrogen concentration of the interflow was 132.45 ± 108.68 mg/L; organic nitrogen (53.27%) was the main component, followed by nitrate nitrogen (32.28%) and nitrous nitrogen and ammonia nitrogen (14.45%). The results highlight the need for the remediation of interflow around simple landfills in mountainous and hilly areas. Generally, the basic data could be used to aid the development of remediation technology.

A contemporary insight into the sero-epidemiology of Toxoplasma gondii infection in the foot-hills of Himalayas: A cross-sectional study from a tertiary care center in Northern India.

BACKGROUND: Toxoplasma gondii infects 30-50% of the world's population with high diversity in the geo-epidemiology and seroprevalence. The burden of toxoplasmosis and its determinants from remote and vulnerable regions of India is unknown. Therefore, this study aim to evaluate the prevalence of toxoplasma antibodies and factors associated with seropositivity among individuals from Uttarakhand and adjoining areas. METHODS: Serum samples from 442 cases were tested for anti-Toxoplasma IgG and IgM antibodies by Enzyme-linked Immunosorbent Assay. Association of seropositivity of toxoplasmosis with age, gender, place of residence, dietary habits, and comorbidities were analyzed using binary logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: The overall Toxoplasma seropositivity was found to be 36.88% [95% Confidence Interval (CI)=30.40-39.28]. While anti-T. gondii IgG was present in 34.84% [95% CI=30.40-39.28], anti-IgM was detected in 6.33% [95% CI=4.06-8.61]. The overall and IgG seroprevalence increased with age in both the genders and there was a sharp increase in the seropositivity after the age of 40 years [adjusted Odds Ratio (aOR)=2.98, p-value=0.030]. The seropositivity rate was significantly higher in individuals from Uttarakhand in both the hilly region (aOR=5.61; 95%CI:[2.14-14.68]) and plains (aOR=5.14; 95%CI:[2.2-12.02]). Multivariable logistic regression analysis also showed that being rural residents (aOR=3.23; 95%CI:[1.67-6.23]) and presence of comorbidities (aOR=8.64; 95%CI:[4.62-16.18]) were potential risk factors of Toxoplasmosis. On the other hand, consumption of vegetarian diet was found to have a protective effect (aOR=0.46; 95%CI:[0.28-0.75]). CONCLUSION: Seroprevalence of T. gondii antibodies was relatively high in Uttarakhand, particularly in rural and hilly terrain, indicating a necessity for the implementation of integrated public health strategies to prevent and control toxoplasmosis in this region.

[Emission Characteristics of Nitrogen and Phosphorus in a Typical Agricultural Small Watershed in Tuojiang River Basin].

The emission of nitrogen and phosphorus via non-point source pollution from a small watershed has become the main pollution source of river waters, while climatic conditions and human activities directly affect the changes in rainfall-runoff and types of land use that are closely related to nitrogen and phosphorus pollution. In this study, we explore the runoff loss, nitrogen and phosphors concentration, and nitrogen and phosphorus emission in Huajiaogou small watershed on the upper reaches of Yangtze River. The rainfall, runoff, and temporal changes of nitrogen and phosphorus were analyzed using the continuous position monitoring data. The results showed that:① the runoff volumes were 10.05×105 m3 and 3.34×105 m3 from July 1st to September 30th, accounting for 76.58% and 56.51% in 2012 and 2013, respectively, and they were positively correlated to rainfall. The peak concentrations of ammonia nitrogen (NH4+-N) from April 1st to June 30th were 11.51 mg ·L-1 and 4.44 mg ·L-1in 2012 and 2013, respectively. ② The NH4+-N emission risk period was from July 1st to September 30th, accounting for 78.45% and 62.24% in 2012 and 2013, respectively. The peak concentration and emission risk period of total nitrogen (TN) and nitrate nitrogen (NO3--N) were from July 1st to September 30th, and NO3--N was the main form of the total nitrogen emission. The peak concentration of NO3--N was 6.06 mg ·L-1 and 11.43 mg ·L-1in 2012 and 2013, respectively, and the loss in NO3--N from July 1st to September 30th accounted for 88.74% and 65.55% in 2012 and 2013, respectively. ③The emission risk period of total phosphorus (TP), dissolved total phosphorus (DTP), and particulate phosphorus (PP) was also from July 1st to September 30th, and the particulate phosphorus was the main form of the total phosphorus emission. The particulate phosphorus emission from July 1st to September 30th accounted for 36% and 68% in 2012 and 2013, respectively, and the ration of particle phosphorus to total phosphorus was easily affected by rainfall.

Assessing Drinking Water Quality at the Point of Collection and within Household Storage Containers in the Hilly Rural Areas of Mid and Far-Western Nepal.

Accurate assessments of drinking water quality, household hygenic practices, and the mindset of the consumers are critical for developing effective water intervention strategies. This paper presents a microbial quality assessment of 512 samples from household water storage containers and 167 samples from points of collection (POC) in remote rural communities in the hilly area of western Nepal. We found that 81% of the stored drinking water samples (mean log10 of all samples = 1.16 colony-forming units (CFU)/100 mL, standard deviation (SD) = 0.84) and 68% of the POC samples (mean log10 of all samples = 0.57 CFU/100 mL, SD = 0.86) had detectable E. coli. The quality of stored water was significantly correlated with the quality at the POC, with the majority (63%) of paired samples showing a deterioration in quality post-collection. Locally applied household water treatment (HWT) methods did not effectively improve microbial water quality. Among all household sanitary inspection questions, only the presence of livestock near the water storage container was significantly correlated with its microbial contamination. Households' perceptions of their drinking water quality were mostly influenced by the water's visual appearance, and these perceptions in general motivated their use of HWT. Improving water quality within the distribution network and promoting safer water handling practices are proposed to reduce the health risk due to consumption of contaminated water in this setting.

[Survey of Schistosoma japonicum infections in wild animals in hilly transmission-controlled areas of Jiangxi Province].

OBJECTIVE: To understand the situation of Schistosoma japonicum infections in wild animals in transmission-controlled schistosomiasis-endemic areas in Jiangxi Province, so as to provide scientific evidence for implementing precision control interventions and achieving the goal of transmission interruption and elimination of schistosomiasis. METHODS: Five endemic villages from Ruichang City and Pengze County that were heavily endemic for schistosomiasis in Jiangxi Province, were selected as the study villages. Wild animals like wild mice were captured, and the livers of wild animals were purchased from the snail habitats in the study villages for detection of S. japonicum infections. In the study villages, S. japonicum human infections were screened using indirect hemagglutination assay (IHA) followed by parasitological examinations with miracidial hatching test and Kato-Katz method, and the S. japonicum infection in livestock was tested using a miracidial hatching test with a plastic tube. In addition, snail survey was conducted in the study villages by means of systematic sampling combined with environmental sampling, and the S. japonicum infection in snails was detected using a loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assay. RESULTS: A total of 240 liver specimens were sampled or purchased from 5 species of wild animals in the study villages, including wild mice, weasels, pigs, deer and rabbits. A total of 172 wild mice were captured, with a 2.91% rate of S. japonicum infection, and there was no S. japonicum infection detected in other wild animals. The prevalence of Capillaria hepatica infection was 12.21%, 1.96% and 12.50% in wild mice, deer and pigs, respectively. In addition, there was no S. japonicum infection found in either humans or livestock in the study villages, and the mean snail density varied from 0.13 to 0.80 snails/0.1 m2 in the study villages. LAMP assay detected S. japonicum infection in 2 tubes in a study village. CONCLUSIONS: The role of wild animals in schistosomiasis transmission and their potential risks can not be neglected in hilly schistosomiasis-endemic areas of Jiangsu Province after transmission control. Intensified surveillance and targeted control measures should be implemented to consolidate schistosomiasis control achievements.

[Application and effect of integrated control model of schistosomiasis interruption in mountainous and hilly endemic regions].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the integrated schistosomiasis control model in mountainous and hilly endemic regions, so as to provide insights into the development of the schistosomiasis elimination strategy. METHODS: Five hilly and mountainous areas endemic for schistosomiasis were selected as the integrated control demonstration areas in Sichuan Province from 2011 to 2015. According to the epidemic characteristics, economic levels and overall development planning of the demonstration areas, the goals, strategies and measures were developed, and the effectiveness of schistosomiasis control was evaluated following implementation of the integrated control. RESULTS: The support system of the integrated schistosomiasis control model was built in the integrated control demonstration areas in Sichuan Province from 2011 to 2015, and five ecological, industrialized and sustainable development models of integrated schistosomiasis control were developed, including integration of balancing rural and urban development, systematic ecological improvement, intensified ecological agriculture, scientific management and health education of schistosomiasis control and ecological ethnic circular economy. Since the implementation of the integrated schistosomiasis control model, the snail habitats were completely changed. Until 2015, 92.0% of all historical areas with snails were managed, the coverage of safe drinking water was 100.0%, and more than 95.0% of the livestock were fenced. The coverage of sanitary toilets increased by 93.0%, 96.8%, 78.8%, 87.1% and 82.0% from 2011 to 2015, respectively, and the farmers'mean yearly income increased by 32.7% in the demonstration areas. From 2011 to 2015, the seroprevalence of human Schistosoma japonicum infections reduced from 3.1% in 2011 to 1.6% in 2015 in the demonstration areas, and no egg-positives were identified. In addition, the number of fenced bovines reduced year by year, and no egg-positives were detected. The areas of snail habitats were 398.7, 108.2 hm2 and 52.9 hm2 in the demonstration areas from 2011 to 2013, with no infected snails found, and no snails were detected since 2014. The awareness of schistosomiasis control knowledge and percentage of correct behavior formation increased year by year among residents in the demonstration areas from 2011 to 2015. CONCLUSIONS: The five integrated schistosomiasis control models meet the needs of the current schistosomiasis control activities in mountainous and hilly endemic areas of Sichuan Province, and achieve the goals of controlling the sources of S. japonicum infections, economic development, social progress and improving the ecological environment, which provides new insights into schistosomiasis elimination in the country.

[Emergency treatment of schistosomiasis outbreaks in transmission - interrupted mountainous and hilly areas].

In China, the mountainous and hilly schistosomiasis-endemic areas are mainly distributed in 2 provinces of Sichuan and Yunnan. Although great success has been achieved in schistosomiasis control in mountainous and hilly areas, there is a risk of re-emerging schistosomiasis in local areas. Hereby, we described the emergency treatment of two schistosomiasis outbreaks that occurred in transmission-interrupted areas of Yunnan Province in 2011 and 2013, pointed out the risk of schistosomiasis rebounding in mountainous and hilly areas and proposed some suggestions.

[Simulation of the Migration and Leaching of Nitrate Nitrogen in the Farmland Soil Profile in a Hilly Area of Taihang Mountain with the RZWQM Model].

Taihang Mountain region is the recharge area for groundwater in the North China Plain (NCP). In recent years, the elevated nitrate concentration in the groundwater in the Taihang Mountain has often been associated with the increased area of farmland and the excessive application of nitrogen. Thus, it is significant to study the soil nitrogen leaching process in typical farmland. In this study, the root zone water quality model (RZWQM) was used to simulate the nitrate nitrogen leaching of winter wheat/summer maize rotation systems in the Hilly Ecosystem Experimental Station in Taihang Mountain. The results showed that during the 2015-2016 winter wheat/summer maize season, the nitrate nitrogen from the soil leaching occurred mainly in the summer maize season (rainy season), with the nitrate nitrogen leaching amount reaching 59.9 kg·hm-2, while the nitrate nitrogen leaching amount during the winter wheat season was only 2.12 kg·hm-2. The soil nitrate nitrogen leaching condition was simulated using the RZWQM model for different nitrogen contents and years with different rainfall. Significant linear correlations were observed between nitrogen use and nitrate leaching in winter wheat/summer maize rotation systems. In summary, the results showed that the nitrate nitrogen leaching values were 10.5, 59.9, and 136.5 kg·hm-2 for nitrogen fertilizer applications of 0, 300, and 450 kg·hm-2, respectively, during extreme precipitation in a wet year (2015). The value of nitrate nitrogen leaching in the maize season of 2013 (dry year), 2015 (normal year), and 2016 (wet year) accounted for 9%, 10%, and 20% for the 300 kg·hm-2 of nitrogen fertilizer applied, respectively. However, the value of nitrate nitrogen leaching in the maize season of 2013 (dry year), 2015 (normal year), and 2016 (wet year) accounted for 11%, 17% and 30% of the 450 kg·hm-2 of nitrogen fertilizer applied. These results show that extreme precipitation events not only greatly recharge the groundwater, but also increase the leaching of accumulated nitrate nitrogen and potential nitrate contamination in the groundwater.

[Distribution characteristics of surface soil organic carbon and total nitrogen in forest plantation of hilly area of Taihang Mountains, Chin]. / å¤ªè¡Œå±±ä½Žå±±ä¸˜é™µåŒºäººå·¥æž—è¡¨å±‚åœŸå£¤æœ‰æœºç¢³å’Œå ¨æ°®åˆ†å¸ƒç‰¹å¾.

To explore the effects of forest types and slope positions on the content of soil organic carbon (SOC) and total nitrogen (TN) in the lower hilly area of Taihang Mountains, we examined the distribution pattern of SOC and TN contents in Quercus variabilis plantation (Qo), and Platycladus orientalis plantation (Po), and abandoned land (Al). The results showed that in the same forest type or slope position, the contents of SOC and TN gradually decreased with increasing soil depth. Under different slope conditions, the contents of SOC and TN showed the tendency of upper-slope (U) > middle-slope (M) > lower-slope (L) in the planted forests (Qo and Po), but showed the tendency of L>U>M in Al. Under different forest types, the contents of SOC and TN in the U and M showed the trend of Qo>Po>Al. At the LS, the contents of SOC and TN of Al were the highest. The C/N ratio followed an order of Qo>Po> Al at U and M, while Qo>Al> Po at L. Within the same forest type, C/N of different slopes was different, but not significant. Our results suggested that the adaptability of the Qo plantation is the best in the lower hilly area of Taihang Mountains.

Application and effect of integrated control model of schistosomiasis interruption in mountainous and hilly endemic regions / 中国血吸虫病防治杂志

Objective To explore the integrated schistosomiasis control model in mountainous and hilly endemic regions, so as to provide insights into the development of the schistosomiasis elimination strategy. Methods Five hilly and mountainous areas endemic for schistosomiasis were selected as the integrated control demonstration areas in Sichuan Province from 2011 to 2015. According to the epidemic characteristics, economic levels and overall development planning of the demonstration areas, the goals, strategies and measures were developed, and the effectiveness of schistosomiasis control was evaluated following implementation of the integrated control. Results The support system of the integrated schistosomiasis control model was built in the integrated control demonstration areas in Sichuan Province from 2011 to 2015, and five ecological, industrialized and sustainable development models of integrated schistosomiasis control were developed, including integration of balancing rural and urban development, systematic ecological improvement, intensified ecological agriculture, scientific management and health education of schistosomiasis control and ecological ethnic circular economy. Since the implementation of the integrated schistosomiasis control model, the snail habitats were completely changed. Until 2015, 92.0% of all historical areas with snails were managed, the coverage of safe drinking water was 100.0%, and more than 95.0% of the livestock were fenced. The coverage of sanitary toilets increased by 93.0%, 96.8%, 78.8%, 87.1% and 82.0% from 2011 to 2015, respectively, and the farmers’mean yearly income increased by 32.7% in the demonstration areas. From 2011 to 2015, the seroprevalence of human Schistosoma japonicum infections reduced from 3.1% in 2011 to 1.6% in 2015 in the demonstration areas, and no egg-positives were identified. In addition, the number of fenced bovines reduced year by year, and no egg-positives were detected. The areas of snail habitats were 398.7, 108.2 hm2 and 52.9 hm2 in the demonstration areas from 2011 to 2013, with no infected snails found, and no snails were detected since 2014. The awareness of schistosomiasis control knowledge and percentage of correct behavior formation increased year by year among residents in the demonstration areas from 2011 to 2015. Conclusions The five integrated schistosomiasis control models meet the needs of the current schistosomiasis control activities in mountainous and hilly endemic areas of Sichuan Province, and achieve the goals of controlling the sources of S. japonicum infections, economic development, social progress and improving the ecological environment, which provides new insights into schistosomiasis elimination in the country.