Towards an environmental quality standard (EQS) for lithium in fresh water.

Lithium (Li), because of its widespread and increasing use in Li-ion batteries, is an element of vital importance to the energy transition away from fossil fuels and toward clean, renewable energy (green energy). Extraction and refining operations, as well as utilisation in a growing number of applications, are expanding and thus increasing the environmental releases of Li. In order to evaluate consequences of such releases, and to risk assess the accumulation of Li in aquatic ecosystems, environmental quality standards (EQS) are needed so that measured concentrations can be evaluated. Satisfactory EQS for Li are yet to be established and therefore derivation of Predicted No Effect Concentrations (PNECs), or interim EQS, are vital for environmental protection. This study compiled Li freshwater ecotoxicology data from global literature, screened and evaluated it, and then employed it to derive PNECs for short term exposures (i.e. concentrations unlikely to cause harm if their duration is short) and PNECs for standard condition exposures (i.e. concentrations unlikely to cause harm if their duration is continuous) in freshwater ecosystems. The generated dataset comprised 194 individual ecotox endpoints from 31 reference sources, spanning 28 species from 10 separate taxonomic groups (broad organism types). The derived PNECs recommended for consideration in environmental regulation are 0.622 mg/L for short term exposures and 15.2 µg/L for standard condition exposures, but with potential adjustment for site specific water conditions incorporating water hardness, dissolved organic carbon concentration and pH.

Spatial distribution, pollution level and human health risk assessment of heavy metals in urban street dust at neighbourhood scale.

Urban street dust (UStD) is a vital issue for human health and is crucial for urban sustainability. This study aims to enhance the creation of safe, affordable, and resilient cities by examining environmental contamination and health risks in urban residential areas. Specifically, it investigates the concentrations and spatial distribution of chromium (Cr), cadmium (Cd), nickel (Ni), copper (Cu), lead (Pb), and zinc (Zn) in UStD in Yenimahalle, Ankara. The mean concentrations of Zn, Cr, Pb, Cd, Ni, and Cu in UStD were 97.98, 66.88, 55.22, 52.45, 38.37, and 3.81 mg/kg, respectively. The geoaccumulation pollution index (Igeo) values for these elements were: Cd (5.12), Ni (1.61), Cr (1.21), Pb (1.13), Cu (0.78), and Zn (0.24). These indices indicate that the area is moderately polluted with Cr, Pb, and Ni, uncontaminated to moderately contaminated with Cu and Zn, and extremely polluted with Cd. The hazard index (HI) values for Cr, Cd, Ni, Cu, Pb, and Zn were below the non-carcinogenic risk threshold for adults, indicating no significant risk. However, for children, the HI values for Pb, Ni, Cd, and Zn were 3.37, 1.80, 1.25, and 1.25, respectively, suggesting a higher risk. Carcinogenic risk (RI) of Cd, Ni, and Pb was significant for both children and adults, indicating that exposure through ingestion, inhalation, and dermal contact is hazardous. The findings highlight the need for strategic mitigation measures for both natural and anthropogenic activities, providing essential insights for residents, policymakers, stakeholders, and urban planners.

Environmental Quality bOX (EQ-OX): A Portable Device Embedding Low-Cost Sensors Tailored for Comprehensive Indoor Environmental Quality Monitoring.

The continuous monitoring of indoor environmental quality (IEQ) plays a crucial role in improving our understanding of the prominent parameters affecting building users' health and perception of their environment. In field studies, indoor environment monitoring often does not go beyond the assessment of air temperature, relative humidity, and CO2 concentration, lacking consideration of other important parameters due to budget constraints and the complexity of multi-dimensional signal analyses. In this paper, we introduce the Environmental Quality bOX (EQ-OX) system, which was designed for the simultaneous monitoring of quantities of some of the main IEQs with a low level of uncertainty and an affordable cost. Up to 15 parameters can be acquired at a time. The system embeds only low-cost sensors (LCSs) within a compact case, enabling vast-scale monitoring campaigns in residential and office buildings. The results of our laboratory and field tests show that most of the selected LCSs can match the accuracy required for indoor campaigns. A lightweight data processing algorithm has been used for the benchmark. Our intent is to estimate the correlation achievable between the detected quantities and reference measurements when a linear correction is applied. Such an approach allows for a preliminary assessment of which LCSs are the most suitable for a cost-effective IEQ monitoring system.

A Multisensor Device Intended as an IoT Element for Indoor Environment Monitoring.

This work presents a multisensor device which is intended as an element of IoT for indoor environment (IE) monitoring. It is a portable, small-size, lightweight, energy-efficient direct-reading instrument. The device has an innovative design and construction. It offers real-time measurements of a wide spectrum of physical and chemical quantities (light intensity, temperature, relative humidity, pressure, CO2 concentration, content of volatile organic compounds including formaldehyde, NO2, and particulate matter), data storage (microSD; server as an option), transmission (WiFi; GSM and Ethernet as options), and visualization (smartphone application; PC as an option). Commercial low-cost sensors were utilized, which have been arranged in the individual sensing modules. In the case of gas sensors, dynamic exposure was chosen to ensure a minimum response time. The MQTT protocol was applied for data transmission and communication with other devices, as well as with the user. The multisensor device can collect huge amounts of data about the indoor environment to provide the respective information to the IoT. The device can be configured to control actuators of various auxiliary devices and equipment including external systems used for ventilation, heating, and air conditioning. The prototype is fully operational. The exemplary results of IE monitoring were shown.

Multi-Sensor Device for Traceable Monitoring of Indoor Environmental Quality.

The Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ) combines thermal, visual, acoustic, and air-quality conditions in indoor environments and affects occupants' health, well-being, and comfort. Performing continuous monitoring to assess IEQ is increasingly proving to be important, also due to the large amount of time that people spend in closed spaces. In the present study, the design, development, and metrological characterization of a low-cost multi-sensor device is presented. The device is part of a wider system, hereafter referred to as PROMET&O (PROactive Monitoring for indoor EnvironmenTal quality & cOmfort), that also includes a questionnaire for the collection of occupants' feedback on comfort perception and a dashboard to show end users all monitored data. The PROMET&O multi-sensor monitors the quality conditions of indoor environments thanks to a set of low-cost sensors that measure air temperature, relative humidity, illuminance, sound pressure level, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, particulate matter, volatile organic compounds, and formaldehyde. The device architecture is described, and the design criteria related to measurement requirements are highlighted. Particular attention is paid to the calibration of the device to ensure the metrological traceability of the measurements. Calibration procedures, based on the comparison to reference standards and following commonly employed or ad hoc developed technical procedures, were defined and applied to the bare sensors of air temperature and relative humidity, carbon dioxide, illuminance, sound pressure level, particulate matter, and formaldehyde. The next calibration phase in the laboratory will be aimed at analyzing the mutual influences of the assembled multi-sensor hardware components and refining the calibration functions.

The asymmetric effect of global value chain on environmental quality: Implications for environmental management.

This study examines the dynamic relationship between global value chain integration, and carbon emissions, in 57 developing economies from 2000 to 2018. Our results show a multipart link between GVC involvement and carbon emissions. Specifically, forward participation, which involves domestic content in foreign exports, offers the potential to reduce emissions, whereas backward participation, defined by foreign content in domestic exports, typically increases emissions. This imbalance draws attention to the dual nature of using mineral resources, which can contribute to and mitigate environmental damage depending on the extent of GVC engagement. The NARDL model employed in the study also reveals the dynamic and nonlinear responses of carbon emissions to variations in the utilization of mineral resources within GVCs. Our findings show that positive shocks to mineral resources use within GVCs negatively influence carbon emissions, while adverse shocks have less impact. The results have significant policy implications, indicating that developing nations should prioritize environmental sustainability while planning their GVC participation. This entails promoting value-added mining resource use initiatives and pushing for strict environmental regulations in GVCs. Our results also highlight the significance of implementing customized measures to mitigate economic activity's asymmetric and nonlinear impacts on environmental quality. It enlightens policymakers in developing nations on balancing environmental conservation and economic growth in a global economy that is becoming more interconnected.

A puzzle on environmental quality and energy security.

i) This study examines the determinants of environmental quality. It is not possible to fully analyze the complex network that emerges from the set of interactions of these determinants, both with each other and with environmental security. Indeed, a number of variables and relationships hidden in the background of the puzzle such as 'game theoretical interactions between economies on energy security', characterize this network. However, this study, which includes energy security and environmental quality simultaneously, may open the door to revealing the key patterns of the current network. ii) This study, which investigates the network between environmental problems and energy security, provides empirical evidence that these two variables may well evolve by positively affecting each other under some conditions. iii) Using the current and sophisticated econometric methods such as CDw + based on Juodis and Reese (2022) test and CS-ARDL Model, over a panel of top 20 energy-using countries in the period 1980-2018, the empirical analysis of the article shows that an increase in energy security risk positively affects environmental quality in aggregate by motivating increased energy efficiency, triggering environmental awareness and regulations, and stimulating research and development activities for clean energy etc. Technologies. Therefore, this study concludes that potential policies and reforms, including reducing fossil fuel consumption, increasing energy efficiency in distribution and consumption, encouraging investments in clean energy are of key importance in making energy security sustainable in the long term by increasing environmental quality.

Navigating the impact of remittances on environmental quality in Africa: The crucial role of institutional quality.

The Sub-Saharan African (SSA) region remains the world's largest recipient of remittances. Due to growing concerns over climate change issues, recent studies have examined how these financial flows have affected environmental quality. Sundry variables were controlled in such studies concerning the remittances-environment nexus, including institutional quality. Notwithstanding that remittance and institutional quality are imperative, their combined effect on environmental quality has been overlooked. The present study has inspected how remittances and institutional quality have jointly influenced environmental quality in 44 economies in the SSA region between 2000 and 2022. Using PMG-ARDL analysis, the findings revealed that remittances had a negative long-term impact on environmental quality. Conversely, the study found that institutional quality positively affected the per capita ecological footprints, as measured by the six indicators' average. Furthermore, the results indicated that improvements in institutional quality over time mitigated the adverse impact of remittances on the environment in the sampled SSA countries. Additionally, a threshold level of institutional quality effectively moderates remittances' detrimental effects on environmental quality were identified. Therefore, most regional countries must enhance their institutional quality to mitigate the negative environmental impact of remittances.

Coupling eco-environmental quality and ecosystem services to delineate priority ecological reserves-A case study in the Yellow River Basin.

Priority ecological reserves (PER) aim to protect areas with significant ecological value and crucial ecological functions, optimizing resource allocation to maximize the benefits of ecological conservation. However, most previous studies have considered only ecosystem services (ESs) in delineating PER, neglecting eco-environmental quality (EEQ). This study used the Remote Sensing-based Ecological Index (RSEI) to represent EEQ and combined it with ESs to delineate PER at the county scale in the Yellow River Basin (YRB). Additionally, it employed Multiscale Geographically Weighted Regression to identify the driving factors influencing the ESs and EEQ of PER. The results showed that: (1) From 2000 to 2020, both RSEI and the Comprehensive ESs (CES) in the YRB exhibited a fluctuating upward trend; (2) Three types of PER were extracted, with ESs reserve mainly distributed in the upstream region, EEQ reserve primarily in the middle and lower reaches, and integrated ecological reserve mainly in the midstream region, all dominated by vegetation land-use types; (3) Within the extracted PER, RSEI was mainly influenced by soil, aspect, population (pop), PM2.5, temperature (tmp), and potential evapotranspiration (pet), while CES was affected by soil, pop, PM2.5, slope, tmp, precipitation, and pet. To enhance the EEQ and ESs of the YRB, it was recommended to incorporate at least 105,379 km2 into the existing protected areas in the YRB. These areas should be subdivided based on their ecological status, with specific management measures for different types of PER. This study provides recommendations for environmental protection and land planning in the YRB, actively responding to current policies on high-quality development and ecological environmental protection in the YRB.

Environmental deterioration, renewable energy, natural resource rents, and schooling in Türkiye: Does the degree of energy transition matter for environmental quality?

Within the literature on energy and environmental economics, it is generally acknowledged that renewable energy can improve environmental quality; however, certain papers suggest that an optimal level of the usage of renewable energy sources may exist. Consequently, the utilization of renewable energy sources can result in environmental degradation up to a certain threshold. Then, environmental quality can be enhanced through the continued application of renewables. This indicates that the link between renewable energy and environmental devastation is inverted U-shaped. This paper presents empirical evidence concerning this possible association between renewable energy and environmental destruction in Türkiye, a country where fossil energy predominates in the energy mix. Additionally, the paper investigates the environmental influences of natural resource rents and schooling. This study utilizes annual data from 1971 to 2020 and implements time series methodologies that rely on the Fourier approximation. The paper thus accounts for an undetermined quantity of structural breaks. The results suggest that an inverted U-shaped link occurs between renewable energy and environmental destruction, signifying renewable energy initially contributes to a diminution in environmental quality before subsequently improving it. Additionally, environmental quality is positively associated with natural resource rents and negatively associated with schooling, according to the findings. Furthermore, the findings reveal that schooling worsens the combined effect of renewable energy on environmental degradation. These conclusions are discussed in the paper.

Unpacking the environmental quality through the effects of natural resources, renewable energy consumption, banking development and industrial value addition: An empirical evidence from BRICS countries.

This study explores the association between natural resources rent, industrial value addition, banking development, renewable energy consumption, total reserves and environmental quality in the dynamic context of BRICS nations from 1995 to 2019. BRICS economies are responsible for global greenhouse gas emissions and confront pressing environmental challenges, including biodiversity loss and pollution. For the dependent variable, the environmental quality, the study constructed a composite index using PCA for all environmental indicators where interdependencies among variables are prevalent. Besides this, the study incorporates two interaction terms to determine the indirect influence of natural resource rent and banking development on environmental quality through the mediating role of industrial value addition. By applying the CS-ARDL technique, the outcomes of the study reveal that natural resources rent, industrial value addition, and total reserves positively influence ENQ, indicating the adverse consequences of industrial sectors on environmental quality and continued environmental degradation due to resource-intensive industrial production, underscoring the urgency of sustainable resource management. In contrast, banking development and renewable energy consumption negatively influence ENQ, signifying the positive role of developed banking sectors in supporting eco-friendly projects and enhancing environmental quality. This study offers valuable insights for policy interventions to foster a more sustainable future.

Evaluating factors promoting waste scavenging and its implications in a growing urban environ in Nigeria.

Despite the inherent risks associated with waste scavenging, it is surprising to note the age group involved in this activity. This study aimed to assess the motivating factors driving teenagers and youths to participate in waste scavenging, using a sample of 247 scavengers. The data underwent analysis using frequency counts, percentages, and factor analysis techniques. The findings revealed that all respondents were male and aged between 12 and 45 years. The primary sources of waste were dumpsites (61%), roadsides, and gutters (26%). Participants predominantly cited lack of formal education requirements and financial gain (93%) as key motivators for their involvement in waste scavenging. Additionally, 96% of scavengers were from northern Nigeria, with the remaining 4% from southern Nigeria. The factor analysis yielded significant results with a Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO) measure and Bartlett's test value of 67.770%, significant at p < 0.05. Four distinct factors emerged as significant motivators: (i) Lack of formal education (31.784%), (ii) Financial incentives (22.912%), (iii) Availability of wastes (14.297%), and (iv) Industrial demand for wastes (13.495%), in descending order of influence. Together, these factors accounted for 82.487% of the motivating factors behind youth engagement in waste scavenging in the study area. This outcome highlights potential challenges for the prospects of young individuals involved in scavenging unless substantial interventions are implemented. It is recommended that policies be developed to discourage scavenging activities while simultaneously promoting access to education and social welfare for this demographic. Such initiatives are crucial for redirecting young people away from scavenging and toward more sustainable livelihood options, ensuring a brighter future for them and contributing to overall societal development.

Synergizing remote sensing and ecological indicators (RSEIs) for evaluating ecological environmental quality (EEQ) in Asansol Municipal Corporation: an integrated approach.

Human activities have dramatically affected global ecology over the past few decades. Geospatial technologies provide quick, efficient, and quantitative evaluation of spatiotemporal changes in eco-environmental quality (EEQ). This study focuses on a novel approach called remote sensing-based ecological indicators (RSEIs), which has used Landsat imagery data to assess environmental conditions and their changing trends. Four ecological indicators, mainly heatness, dryness, wetness, and greenness, have been used to assess the EEQ in Asansol Municipal Corporation Region (AMCR). Assembling all the indicators to generate RSEI, the principal component analysis (PCA) approach was applied. Our findings show that wetness and greenness favorably impact the province's EEQ, whereas dryness and heat create a negative impact. The RSEI assessment revealed that 24.53 to 28.83% of the area was poor and very poor, whereas the areas with very good decreased from 18.80 to 4.01% from 2001 to 2021 due to urban expansion and industrialization. The relative importance analysis indicates that greenness has a positive relation with RSEI, and dryness and heatness have a negative relation with RSEI. Finally, the receiving operating characteristic (ROC) was used for validation (AUC-0.885) of the RSEI. This study offers valuable insights for ecological management decision-making, guiding planners, and policymakers.

Association between the environmental quality index and textbook outcomes among Medicare beneficiaries undergoing surgery for colorectal cancer (CRC).

BACKGROUND: Quality of cancer care received by individuals may be influenced by environmental factors resulting in inequalities within the healthcare system. We sought to investigate the association between the Environmental Quality Index (EQI) and achievement of textbook outcomes (TOs) among Medicare beneficiaries who underwent surgical resection for colorectal cancer (CRC). METHODS: Patients diagnosed with CRC from 2004 to 2015 were identified using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results-Medicare database and merged with the US Environmental Protection Agency's EQI data. A high EQI category indicated poor environmental quality, whereas a low EQI indicated better environmental conditions. RESULTS: Among 40 939 patients, 33 699 (82.3%) were diagnosed with colon cancer, 7240 (17.7%) were diagnosed with rectal cancer, and 652 (1.6%) were diagnosed with both cancers. Median age was 76 years old (interquartile range: 70-82 years) with roughly half of patients being female (n = 22 033, 53.8%). Most patients self-reported as White (n = 32 404, 79.2%) and resided in the West region of the United States (n = 20 308, 49.6%). On multivariable analysis, patients residing in high EQI areas were less likely to achieve TO (referent: low EQI; odds ratio [OR]: 0.94, 95% confidence interval [95% CI]: 0.89-0.99; p = 0.02). Of note, Black patients living in moderate-to-high EQI counties had a 31% decreased likelihood of reaching a TO compared with White patients in low EQI counties (OR: 0.69, 95% CI: 0.55-0.87). CONCLUSION: Patients residing in high EQI counties and Black race were associated with a lower likelihood of TO following resection of CRC among Medicare patients. Environmental factors may be important contributors to health care disparities and affect postoperative outcomes following CRC resection.

Integument colouration and circulating carotenoids in relation to urbanisation in Eurasian kestrels (Falco tinnunculus).

Urbanisation is one of the biggest environmental challenges of our time, yet we still lack an integrative understanding of how cities affect behaviour, physiology and parasite susceptibility of free-living organisms. In this study, we focus on carotenoids, strictly dietary micronutrients that can either be used as yellow-red pigments, for integument colouration (signalling function), or as antioxidants, to strengthen the immune system (physiological function) in an urban predator, the Eurasian kestrel (Falco tinnunculus). Kestrels are specialised vole hunters but shift to avian prey in cities where diurnal rodents are not sufficiently available. This different foraging strategy might determine the quantity of carotenoids available. We measured integument colouration, circulating carotenoids in the blood and ectoparasite burden in kestrels along an urban gradient. Our results showed that nestlings that were raised in more urbanised areas displayed, unrelated to their ectoparasite burden, a paler integument colouration. Paler colours were furthermore associated with a lower concentration of circulating carotenoids. These findings support the hypothesis that the entire urban food web is carotenoid deprived and only prey of low quality with low carotenoid content is available (e.g. fewer carotenoids in urban trees, insects, small birds and finally kestrels). The alternative hypothesis that nestlings allocate carotenoids to reduce physiological stress and/or to cope with parasites rather than invest into colouration could not be supported. Our study adds to existing evidence that urban stressors negatively affect carotenoid production in urban areas, a deficiency that dissipate into higher trophic levels.

Detailed characterization of iron-rich tailings after the Fundão dam failure, Brazil, with inclusion of proximal sensors data, as a secure basis for environmental and agricultural restoration.

Following the Fundão dam failure in Brazil, 60 million m3 of iron-rich tailings were released impacting an extensive area. After this catastrophe, a detailed characterization and monitoring of iron-rich tailings is required for agronomic and environmental purposes. This can be facilitated by using proximal sensors which have been an efficient, fast, and cost-effective tool for eco-friendly analysis of soils and sediments. This work hypothesized that portable X-ray fluorescence (pXRF) spectrometry combined with a pocket-sized (Nix™ Pro) color sensor and benchtop magnetic susceptibilimeter can produce substantial data for fast and clean characterization of iron-rich tailings. The objectives were to differentiate impacted and non-impacted areas (soils and sediments) based on proximal sensors data, and to predict attributes of agronomic and environmental importance. A total of 148 composite samples were collected on totally impacted, partially impacted, and non-impacted areas (natural soils). The samples were analyzed via pXRF to obtain the total elemental composition; via Nix™ Pro color sensor to obtain the red (R), green (G), and blue (B) parameters; and assessed for magnetic susceptibility (MS). The same samples used for analyses via the aforementioned sensors were wet-digested (USEPA 3051a method) followed by ICP-OES quantification of potentially toxic elements. Principal component analysis was performed to differentiate impacted and non-impacted areas. The pXRF data alone or combined with other sensors were used to predict soil agronomic properties and semi-total concentration of potentially toxic elements via random forest regression. For that, samples were randomly separated into modeling (70%) and validation (30%) datasets. The pXRF proved to be an efficient method for rapid and eco-friendly characterization of iron-rich tailings, allowing a clear differentiation of impacted and non-impacted areas. Also, important soil agronomic properties (clay, cation exchange capacity, soil organic carbon, pH and macronutrients availability) and semi-total concentrations of Ba, Pb, Cr, V, Cu, Co, Ni, Mn, Ti, and Li were accurately predicted (based upon the lowest RMSE and highest R2 and RPD values). Sensor data fusion (pXRF + Nix Pro + MS) slightly improved the accuracy of predictions. This work highlights iron-rich tailings from the Fundão dam failure can be in detail characterized via pXRF ex situ, providing a secure basis for complementary studies in situ aiming at identify contaminated hot spots, digital mapping of soil and properties variability, and embasing pedological, agricultural and environmental purposes.

Soil erosion assessment in the Amazon basin in the last 60 years of deforestation.

Anthropic activities in the Amazon basin have been compromising the environmental sustainability of this complex biome. The main economic activities depend on the deforestation of the rainforest for pasture cattle ranching and agriculture. This study analyzes soil erosion to understand how deforestation has impacted the Amazon basin in this context, using three land-use temporal maps (1960, 1990, 2019) through the revised universal soil loss equation (RUSLE). Our results point to a significant influence of deforestation due to the expansion of agricultural and livestock activities on soil erosion rates in the Amazon Basin. The average soil erosion rate has increased by more than 600% between 1960 and 2019, ranging from 0.015 Mg ha-1 year-1 to 0.117 Mg ha-1 year-1. During this period, deforestation of the Amazon rainforest was approximately 7% (411,857 km2), clearly the leading cause of this increase in soil erosion, especially between 1990 and 2019. The south and southeast regions are the most impacted by increasing soil erosion, in which deforestation was accelerated for expanding agriculture and livestock activities, mainly in the sub-basins of the Madeira, Solimões, Xingu, and Tapajós that present soil erosion increases of 390%, 350%, 280%, and 240%, respectively. The sub-basins with the highest sediment delivery rate (SDR) are under the influence of the Andes, highlighting Solimões (27%), Madeira (13%), and Negro (6%) due to the increase in the soil erosion rate increase in these sub-basins.

Effects of official and unofficial environmental regulations on environmental quality: Evidence from the Yangtze River Economic Belt, China.

Due to the increasing impact of climate change, there is a need to examine the effect of environmental regulation on environmental quality. Consequently, we examine the nonlinear and mediation effects of environmental regulation on environmental quality using panel data of 45 major cities in the Yangtze River Economic Belt, China, from 2013 to 2020. Environmental regulation is divided into official and unofficial environmental regulations according to its formality. The results indicate that an increase of official and unofficial environmental regulations can promote the improvement of environmental quality. In fact, the positive effect of environmental regulation on cities with better environmental quality is greater than that of cities with poorer environmental quality. The implementation of both official and unofficial environmental regulations can improve environmental quality better than the single implementation of either official environmental regulation or unofficial environmental regulation. There are full mediation effects of Gross Domestic Product per capita and technological progress in the positive effects of official environmental regulation on environmental quality. There are also partial mediation effects of technological progress and industrial structure in the positive effects of unofficial environmental regulation on environmental quality. This study assesses the policy effectiveness of environmental regulation and determines the underlying mechanism between environmental regulation and environmental quality to provide a reference for other countries regarding environmental improvement.

Do dietary practices and household environmental quality mediate socio-economic inequalities in child undernutrition risk in West Africa?

OBJECTIVE: We investigated the relationship between socio-economic status and child undernutrition in West Africa (WA), and further examined the mediating role of dietary practices (measured as minimum dietary diversity (MDD), minimum meal frequency (MMF) and minimum acceptable diet (MAD)) and household environmental quality (HEQ) in the observed relationship. DESIGN: Thirteen countries were included in the study. We leveraged the most recent Demographic and Health Surveys datasets ranging from 2010 to 2019. Poisson regression model with robust standard errors was used to estimate prevalence ratios and their corresponding 95 % CI. Structural equation modelling was used to conduct the mediation analysis. SETTING: West Africa. PARTICIPANTS: 132 448 under-five children born within 5 years preceding the survey were included. RESULTS: Overall, 32·5 %, 8·2 %, 20·1 % and 71·7 % of WA children were stunted, wasted, underweight and anaemic, respectively. Prevalence of undernutrition decreased with increasing maternal education and household wealth (Trend P-values < 0·001). Secondary or higher maternal education and residence in rich households were associated with statistically significant decrease in the prevalence of stunting, wasting, underweight and anaemia among children in WA. MAD was found to mediate the association of low maternal education and poor household wealth with childhood stunting and underweight by 35·9 % to 44·5 %. MDD, MMF and HEQ did not mediate the observed relationship. CONCLUSIONS: The study findings enables an evaluation and improvement of existing intervention strategies through a socio-economic lens to help address the high burden of child undernutrition in WA and other developing regions.

Towards a better consideration of endocrine disruption within the technical guidance for deriving environmental quality standards.

Endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) are a reason for growing concern because of their substantial and long-lasting deleterious effects on human health and wildlife populations. These include direct effects on aquatic organisms and may be a concern to species feeding on the aquatic food chains and water, including humans. In the European Community, the dedicated legislative tools to protect the aquatic environment and human health from contaminants released to surface waters is the Water Framework Directive (WFD). The achievement of protection goals is assessed through the comparison of concentrations measured in the media and thresholds of no effect called Environmental Quality Standards (EQSs). As EDCs are explicitly mentioned in the WFD, an analysis of the state of the art was undertaken on how far and how consistently ED properties were considered in the derivation of EQS values. Our results reveal substantial heterogeneity according to substance and that among substances with ED evidences, EQSs have been derived without considering ED properties for 70% of them. A methodology to better consider endocrine disrupting properties is proposed and includes a logical and systematic approach to derive EQSs with a proposal to specify additional assessment factors based on the specific hazard and potential uncertainty.