Criticality assessment of metal resources in China.
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ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Yan W
PROVIDER: S-EPMC8188489 | biostudies-literature |
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
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Project description:China is globally the largest and a rapidly growing market for electric vehicles. The aim of the paper is to determine challenges related to criticality and environmental impacts of battery electric vehicles and internal combustion engine vehicles, focusing not only on a global but also the Chinese perspective, applying the ESSENZ method, which covers a unique approach to determine criticality aspects as well as integrating life cycle assessment results. Real industry data for vehicles and batteries produced in China was collected. Further, for the criticality assessment, Chinese import patterns are analyzed. The results show that the battery electric vehicle has similar and partly increased environmental impacts compared with the internal combustion engine vehicle. For both, the vehicle cycle contributes to a large proportion in all the environmental impact categories except for global warming. Further, battery electric vehicles show a higher criticality than internal combustion engine vehicles, with tantalum, lithium, and cobalt playing essential roles. In addition, the Chinese-specific results show a lower criticality compared to the global assessment for the considered categories trade barriers and political stability, while again tantalum crude oil and cobalt have high potential supply disruptions. Concluding, battery electric vehicles still face challenges regarding their environmental as well as criticality performance from the whole supply chain both in China and worldwide. One reason is the replacement of the lithium-ion power battery. By enhancing its quality and establishing battery recycling, the impacts of battery electric vehicle would decrease.Supplementary informationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s43615-021-00012-5.
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Project description:BackgroundThis paper was based on ethnobotanical investigations conducted from 2004-2006 in Inner Mongolian Autonomous Region of northern China. Today, due to their nutritious and relatively pollution-free characteristics, wild vegetables are playing an increasingly important role in peoples' health and well-being. This paper aims to provide scientific clues for the selection of special and high quality wild vegetables species.MethodsAn ethnobotanical study, consisting of a literature survey, open-ended and semi-structured interviews, and collection and identification of voucher specimens was carried out to gather information on wild vegetables in Inner Mongolia. Next, an integrated assessment of 90 species of wild vegetables was performed using the linearity weighted integrative mathematical analysis method.ResultsAccording to an integrated assessment of 90 species of wild vegetables in Inner Mongolia, there are 5 species with the highest integrated value, 40 species of high-integrated value, 43 species of general integrated value, and 2 species of low value. The results indicate that the vast majority of wild vegetables have high value in Inner Mongolia.ConclusionsInner Mongolia is rich in wild vegetable resources. A comprehensive assessment indicates that the vast majority of wild vegetables are of high value. However, these wild vegetables are seldom collected or cultivated by local people. Most of the collected species require further research and investigation into their nutrient content, toxicity and ethnobotany to illuminate their potential as new cultivars or products.
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Project description:Heavy metal contamination in lake sediments is a serious problem, particularly in developing countries such as China. To evaluate heavy metal pollution and risk of contamination in lake sediments on a national scale in China, we collated available data in the literature of the last 10 years on lake sediments polluted with heavy metals from 24 provinces in China. Based on these data, we used sediment quality guidelines, geoaccumulation index, and potential ecological risk index to assess potential ecological risk levels. The results showed that approximately 20.6% of the lakes studied exceeded grade II level in Chinese soil quality standards for As, 31.3% for Cd, 4.6% for Cu, 20.8% for Ni, 2.8% for Zn, and 11.1% for Hg, respectively. Besides, the mean concentrations for As in 10.3% of lakes, Hg in 11.9% of lakes, and Ni in 31.3% of lakes surpassed the probable effect level. The potential ecological risk for toxic metals decreased in the order of Cd > Hg > As > Cu > Pb > Ni > Cr > Zn, and there were 21.8% of the lakes studied in the state of moderate risk, 10.9% in high risk, and 12.7% in very high risk. It can be concluded that Chinese lake sediments are polluted by heavy metals to varying degrees. In order to provide key management targets for relevant administrative agencies, based on the results of the pollution and ecological risk assessments, Cd, Hg, As, Cu, and Ni were selected as the priority control heavy metals, and the eastern coastal provinces and Hunan province were selected as the priority control provinces. This article, therefore, provides a comprehensive assessment of heavy metal pollution in lake sediments in China, while providing a reference for the development of lake sediment quality standards.
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Project description:The contamination of soil by lead (Pb) is a serious and widespread problem in China, especially in mining areas. This paper summarized the available data regarding Pb-contaminated soils around various metal mines in China. Based on these data, the Pb concentration in the soil and its temporal and spatial changes were analyzed. Potential ecological hazards and adult lead models were also used to estimate ecological and health risks. The results indicated that the concentration of Pb was closely related with the type of mine. Compared with other types of mine, soil around lead-zinc (Pb-Zn) and tin (Sn) mines with high Pb contents in the metallic ores and high pollutant emission coefficient were more strongly polluted by Pb. The characteristic spatial and temporal variations of Pb pollution status in China were clarified, and the results showed that the concentration was high in the southern, southwestern, and central regions of China where many mining areas were located, and the mean value passed a turning point in 2012. Ecological risk assessments indicated that some areas around mines were at considerable to high risk, and the risk was relatively severe in Pb-Zn mining areas. According to the adult lead model, Pb-Zn mines had a greater impact on blood Pb concentration than the other types of mine.
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Project description:To assess contamination levels and ecological risks of heavy metals in agricultural soil from Shanxi Province of China, a total of 33 samples in the surface soil were collected from 11 cities in Shanxi. The soil samples were digested by a mixed acid of nitric acid and hydrofluoric acid on a microwave digestion system, then the levels of eight heavy metals were analysed using an inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer. The pollution levels of soil heavy metals were evaluated using a geo-accumulation index and their ecological risks were assessed using risk index calculated by Hakanson's method. As a result, the average concentrations of the heavy metals As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Ni, Pb and Zn were 12.9 ± 4.8, 0.35 ± 0.23, 43 ± 14, 27 ± 19, 0.25 ± 0.14, 21.7 ± 5.7, 17 ± 13 and 89 ± 53 mg kg-1, respectively. By comparison to the Chinese soil environmental quality (GB15618-2018), only 9% of Cd samples and 3% of Cu samples exceeded their corresponding screening criteria. Subsequently, the results of geo-accumulation indices suggested that Shanxi's soil suffered from moderate to heavy contamination posed by Cd and Hg, and risk indices exhibited a similar trend that Cd and Hg were the main contributors for considerable to very high ecological risk. Finally, the analysis of variance indicated that the mean levels of Cd significantly occurred at Yuncheng areas among the 11 cities (n = 3, p < 0.05), but Hg concentrations did not have significantly statistical differences. This study demonstrated that metals Cd and Hg had higher levels and ecological risks for agricultural soil in Shanxi, especially, Yuncheng City suffered from heavy Cd contamination. The findings of the present study will provide basic information on management and control of the agricultural soil contamination in Shanxi Province, China.
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