Analysis of the dynamics of common industrial solid waste based on input-output: A case study of Shanghai international metropolis in China.

Rapid economic development inevitably leads to the discharge of a large amount of common industrial solid waste (CISW), which not only pollutes the environment but also restricts economic development in turn. In this study, a dynamic common industrial solid waste (DCISW) model is developed to analyze the retrospectively CISW development in Shanghai from 2000 to 2017 and simulate prospectively multi-perspective emission reduction measures. Specifically, the dynamic linkages between CISW and socio-economics are established at both the systematic and sectoral levels through input-output analysis, ecological network analysis, and related socio-economic indicators. Abatement measure simulations are conducted using RAS and other methods. The findings reveal that the growth of CISW in Shanghai is closely related to its fast-growing economy. The Others sector (OS) receives the most CISW from other sectors, while the Mining industry (MI) sends the most CISW to others. From production-based, consumption-based, and income-based perspectives, Chemical Products (CP) consistently remain the largest contributors. For the proposed waste generation intensity (WGI) indicator, the Mining industry (MI) is regarded as the main sector in all three perspectives. Moreover, the MI consistently emerges as the key sector of the system. CISW simulations indicate that improving the MI emission technology and increasing the MI output value will be top priorities for CISW emission reduction in Shanghai. This study is expected to provide scientific support to address the CISW problem in Shanghai and other similar fast-growing metropolises.

Development of an industrial solid waste ecological analysis model in Shanghai, China.

Amid China's rapid economic expansion, the country's industrial solid waste (ISW) problem is escalating. As each sector generates distinct types of ISW, a multi-indicator assessment of each sector is essential to address China's New Solid Waste Policy. To investigate the ISW situation of each sector and perform a comprehensive assessment, we formulate an industrial solid waste ecological analysis framework based on ISW generation and ISW flow in the sector. Various indicators (i.e., solid waste utilization coefficient, solid waste threat coefficient, and solid waste threat intensity) are employed to assess the utilization of solid waste generated for each sector, as well as the threat of solid waste originating in each sector to society. Ecological network analysis probes the interrelationships between diverse sectors. Taking Shanghai in 2017 as an example, the study indicates that some sectors (e.g., production and supply of electric power and heat power (EH) and metal smelting and rolling processing sector (MS)) exhibit higher direct ISW generation and the direct industrial solid waste value-added coefficient (SVAC) for common industrial solid waste (CISW). Specifically, the direct CISW generation of EH and MS is 539.21Mt and 277.00Mt respectively. The direct SVAC of EH and MS is 157.06kg/103RMB and 126.27kg/103RMB respectively. These sectors should prioritize reducing emissions at the source. Additionally, the threats to society from various sectors are relatively insignificant for the CISW, while for the hazardous waste (HW), all sectors pose a considerable threat to Shanghai's society. Moreover, some sectors (e.g., mining industry) exhibit the highest mutualism relationships in the CISW and the HW. Enhancing mining sector technologies is a vital strategy for mitigating ISW sources. Specifically, MI has 9 pairs of mutualism relationships in the CISW and 8 pairs in the HW. These insights will provide empirical evidence for tackling the ISW problem in Shanghai.

A sector-disaggregated cross-regional emission analysis for carbon mitigation policies from production and consumption perspectives.

As one of the most challenging environment issues worldwide, climate change has posed a serious threat to habitat, species, and people's livelihoods. In this study, a sector-disaggregated cross-regional emission analysis model is developed to systematically analyze enviro-economic effects of sector-level carbon mitigation efforts from both production and consumption perspectives for supporting climate change-related policymaking. A special case study of Hubei Province, China, is conducted to demonstrate the potential benefits of its use in the climate change related policymaking field. The power generation sector has been disaggregated into five subsectors based on different power generation technologies to help investigate the potential of such technologies to carbon emission mitigations. The carbon mitigation policy scenarios from both industry optimization and demand substitute perspectives will further be explored to provide bases for decision makers to formulate the desired carbon mitigation policy aimed at different regions and sectors. Results indicate that dominant direct and indirect CO2 emissions in Hubei Province are from the Production and supply of fossil-fuel power sector and Construction sector, respectively. When industry optimization policies on the fossil-fuel power sector (in Hubei), there are significant effects on the CO2 emission mitigation whichever regions. Therefore, industry optimization policies are suggested for implementation in specific sectors with close intersectoral/interprovince trade contacts and significant emissions to achieve joint carbon emission mitigations.

A factorial-based dynamic distributive model for virtual-water management in multi-urban agglomerations - A case study of Yangtze River Economic Belt.

The economic development, population growth and rapid urbanization in the Yangtze River Economic Belt (YREB) have resulted in an imbalance between socio-economic development and available water resources of adjacent urban agglomerations. Exploring the virtual water flow (VWF) of adjacent urban agglomerations in YREB is crucial for the collaborative management of water resources. In this study, a factorial-based dynamic distributive model (FDDM) is first developed to analyze the variations in virtual water transfers and inter/inner-sectoral relationships within multi-urban agglomerations, and expound the spatiotemporal diffusion effects of multiple water policy alternatives (and their combinations) for virtual water. The FDDM is applied in YREB's urban agglomerations covering Yangtze River Delta (YRDA), Middle Reach of Yangtze River (MRA) and Chengyu Urban Agglomeration (CYA). The FDDM is capable of i) quantifying the dynamic evolution of direct/indirect virtual water volume and virtual water transfer direction/path between and within urban agglomerations; ii) demonstrating the spatiotemporal changes of the control/dependent relationship within sectors in sub-urban agglomerations, as well as the evolution of utility relationship within the system; iii) evaluating the interactions of different water policies (and their combinations) within each sub-urban agglomeration/key sectors on the direct and indirect virtual water consumption of the system. Our major findings are: (i) YRDA always has the largest direct and indirect water consumption as well as the water consumption intensities from 2007 to 2017; (ii) The three national urban agglomerations have evolved in the direction of benign development; (iii) the interactions between YRDA and MRA, YRDA_FLF (sector of farming, forest, livestock, and fishery in YRDA) and MRA_FTO (sector of food and tobacco processing in MRA) on VWF are obvious. These results will provide a new insight for balancing urban agglomeration development and water resource utilization in YREB.

Sustainable conjunctive water management model for alleviating water shortage.

Water shortage poses a great challenge to the health of population and environment and impedes socio-economic development. Therefore, a comprehensive model is necessary to promote the adaptation of the whole socio-economic system to limited water resources. To achieve it, a sustainable conjunctive water management model (SCWM) was developed. In SCWM, direct (physical) and indirect (virtual or embodied) water consumptions of multiple water resources in future scenarios are projected, and the sustainable performances of various water-saving scenarios are quantified from the perspectives of water resources, economy, and ecosystem under water capping policy. A case study of Shaanxi, a typical water shortage province in central-eastern China, is conducted aimed at conquering the irrational use of surface- and ground-water subjected to the constraint of future total water use quota. Key findings contain optimal possibility of adapting water shortage via saving water through increasing industrial water efficiency to 11.12 m3/10,000 CNY and reducing 40% of agricultural final demand (Summation of direct and indirect water savings of the two scenarios are 41.57 × 108 m3 and 20.27 × 108 m3, respectively.) and nonsynergistic effects of simultaneous decreasing final demand of multiple sectors on water consumption intensity (WCI) of total (all kinds of water) water, surface- and ground-water. To devise effective policies for conjunctive management of surface- and ground-water, positive utility, economic structure and water productivity should be heeded, and proposals emphasize trade-offs between surface water saving and groundwater conservation, water metabolic and socio-economic systems sustainability and negative interaction of multiple sectors on economy and WCI should be framed. The innovation of this study is the development of SCWM, which can provide sustainable solution for future multiple-source water saving management measures thoroughly concerning direct and indirect water and sectorial interactions. The model not only brings insights to Shaanxi's water management but also can be used for other similar arid area.

Development of an SMR-induced environmental input-output analysis model - Application to Saskatchewan, Canada.

As an emerging power generation technology, small module reactors (SMRs) have the potential for development with its contribution to reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. In this study, an SMR-induced environmental input-output model (SEIOM) is proposed to simulate the environmental consequences of SMRs development and provide suggested schemes for SMRs deployment. A case study of Saskatchewan, Canada is conducted to demonstrate the proposed model. Specifically, key industries with high reduction potentials are first identified in the study; then, the power supply for three energy-intensive industries is assumed to be replaced by power generated from SMRs at various penetration degrees. The corresponding changes in direct and indirect GHG emissions and the interrelationships among multiple economic sectors associated with GHG flows are analyzed. The results indicate that there are close interdependences between various sectors and a small group of sectors could play a big role in GHG emission mitigation. In Saskatchewan, "Electricity power generation, transmission and distribution", "Oil and gas extraction", "Potash mining" and "Petroleum refineries" are key sectors for realizing GHG emission reduction targets. Meanwhile, it is estimated that replacing the power supply for "Oil and gas extraction" sector with SMRs would contribute the most to the reduction in GHG emission, which is much more than those for "Potash mining" and "Petroleum refineries" sectors. This study is expected to provide a basis for supporting the initiative and application of SMRs.

Development of carbon emission interactive network model: A case study of Northeast Industrial District.

Urban carbon emission is one of the hotspots of global change research. The interactive relationships among the carbon emissions of various sectors within the social-economic system are often overlooked. The goal of this research is to take Northeast Industrial District (NID) including Liaoning, Jilin and Heilongjiang provinces as a special case study to explore the impact of different emission sources on the internal interaction of carbon emission system. To do so, a carbon emission interactive network (CEIN) model is developed to demonstrate the interactions of embodied carbon emissions within the system using factorial analysis and input output analysis. The control situation and mutual interactions between sectors within the system of NID were examined, and the impacts of different emission sources on the internal interaction of carbon emission system were discussed. Moreover, the utility indicators were revised to distinguish the impact of system boundaries on changes in system ecological relationships and evaluate the comprehensive properties of the system. It is found that the indirect emissions of NID were huge. Liaoning Province had the largest total emissions during the study period, with indirect emissions accounting for more than 60% of the total emissions. The pulling weights of the agricultural sector in three provinces of the system were significantly insufficient, with all weights less than 3%. The driving weights of the agricultural, mining and primary manufacture sectors in three provinces were insufficient, while the driving weight of the advanced manufacture sector was excessively strong. The most important transmission department did not have the most important effect on the network mutualism. The definition of system boundary had a huge impact on the accounting of system emissions. The results will provide a scientific basis for guiding the reform of the carbon emission system and achieving regional coordinated development.

Development of a distributive Three Gorges Project input-output model to investigate the disaggregated sectoral effects of Three Gorges Project.

Research on the overall social, economic and environmental (SEE) impacts of water resources projects (WRP) has gradually attracted attention. However, the WRP-related indirect impacts as linked through various supply chains from a number of disaggregated sectors and their interactive relationship are rarely studied. Here in this study, under a general disaggregated input-output (IO) framework, a distributive Three Gorges Project input-output (DTGIO) model is developed to investigate the composite effects of Three Gorges Project (TGP) based on a disaggregated TGP-IO table for the Yangtze River economic belt (YREB). DTGIO model could facilitate exploring i) the interactions among key TGP-related effects from production and consumption sides; ii) the impacts of various TGP-induced changes on specific SEE sectors; iii) the detailed TGP water flow paths as induced by the final demand of each province in YREB. It is discovered that the TGP has the greatest impact on agriculture. Although the construction of the TGP submerged a large amount of land and adversely affected agriculture in the reservoir area, its effective flood control function can reduce flooding in the "land of fish and rice" and create favorable conditions for agricultural development. The connection between the TGP and the inner provinces of YREB is mainly realized by the hydropower generation sector. For the economic benefits of the TGP, the economic benefits of the investment of various sectors of the TGP are diversified, which should be adjusted according to the government's objectives. For the ecological effects of the TGP, the interaction of sectors (especially the irrigation service sector and hydropower generation sector on consumption side, and the hydropower generation sector and water supply sector on production side) should be valued and a sense of joint management for the relevant sectors of TGP should be established.

Decoupling of wastewater eco-environmental damage and China's economic development.

Wastewater pollution has been considered as a prominent bottleneck restricting global sustainable development. China is one of the largest discharges and eco-environmental damages of wastewater in the world. Through analyzing wastewater discharge data using emergy method in China from 2011 to 2017, the wastewater eco-environmental damage of 31 provinces is calculated with GDP and area to reveal the fundamental origins of inflection point of wastewater discharge in China. Studies results show that, (i) Chinese "12th Five-Year Plan" (2011-2015) is a watershed in wastewater discharge, and the eco-environment damages caused by China's wastewater accounted for more than 1/4 of GDP; (ii) China has the great potential to reduce eco-environment damages of 1.73 trillion $/year; (iii) In 2016 and 2017, wastewater eco-environmental damage has decreased by about 50% compared with that in 2015, and the effect of government policies was remarkable. We conclude that decoupling of China's economic development form eco-environmental damages of wastewater is began to appear, the strict formulation and implementation of China's environmental policies and the green upgrading of industrial structure are main driving forces, and it is little correlation with economic slowdown. This study offers the detailed list of China wastewater pollution and reveals the relationship between wastewater eco-environmental damages and economic development, and shows the experience and achievements of the Chinese government in the treatment of wastewater pollution, which provides a useful reference for the treatment of wastewater pollution in the world.

Fabrication of Nano/Micro-Structured Electrospun Detection Card for the Detection of Pesticide Residues.

A novel nano/micro-structured pesticide detection card was developed by combining electrospinning and hydrophilic modification, and its feasibility for detecting different pesticides was investigated. Here, the plain and hydrophilic-modified poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) fiber mats were used for the absorption of indolyl acetate and acetylcholinesterase (AChE), respectively. By pre-treating the fiber mat with ethanol, its surface wettability was improved, thus, promoting the hydrolysis of the PCL fiber mat. Furthermore, the absorption efficiency of AChE was improved by almost two times due to the increased hydrophilicity of the modified fiber mat. Noteworthily, this self-made detection card showed a 5-fold, 2-fold, and 1.5-fold reduction of the minimum detectable concentration for carbofuran, malathion, and trichlorfon, respectively, compared to the national standard values. Additionally, it also exhibited good stability when stored at 4 °C and room temperature. The food detection test showed that this nano/micro-based detection card had better detectability than the commercial detection card. Therefore, this study offers new insights into the design of pesticide detection cards, which also broadens the application of electrospinning technique.

Multi-regional industrial wastewater metabolism analysis for the Yangtze River Economic Belt, China.

Enormous wastewater discharges have significantly impeded the sustainable development. As several economic belt has been formed in China, systematic analysis of multi-regional wastewater metabolic system is required for advancing wastewater mitigation effectively and efficiently. In this study, a distributive environmental input-output model (DEIO) is developed for the Yangtze River Economic Belt (YREB) to provide bases for supporting sustainable development from inter-regional and inter-sectoral perspectives. The discharges and flows of wastewater and related pollutants (i.e., chemical oxygen demand (COD) and ammonia nitrogen (AN)) among sectors and regions are analyzed to providing solid bases for wastewater management within the YREB. The results show that the industrial wastewater mitigation in YREB is desired urgently. The industrial wastewater discharges in Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces are numerous, while Hunan and Yunnan provinces are more inclined to suffer from serious COD and AN pollution. In addition, the manufacture of food, tobacco, chemical materials, and pharmaceutical are the typical sectors with a large amount of direct wastewater discharge, and the tertiary industry is ranked at the first in indirect wastewater discharge. According to the analysis, the implementation of the "Supply-side Structure Reform" and the "Replace Subsidies with Rewards" policy can benefit the wastewater mitigation in the YREB.

Economic sensitivity analysis of dual perspectives induced by energy scarcity for energy-dependent region.

Rapid industrialization leads to potential energy scarcity. The formulation of energy intervention can alleviate the economic losses caused by insufficient energy inputs in advance. In this study, the energy dependency and sensitivity quantification model (EDSQ) is firstly developed to evaluate the impacts of insufficient energy support on economic development under network-based perspective and sector-based perspective. A special case study for the Province of Shanxi, China, is conducted to illustrate the potential benefits of its use in the formulation of energy intervention for energy-dependent regions. Seven energy groups are explored to gain more insights into the impacts of specific energy groups on energy metabolism and the complicated interactions among sectors. It is found that the energy metabolism of Shanxi is under an unhealthy state. The internal flows are dominated by exploitation and competitive relationships, which is not conducive to effective energy metabolism. The hierarchy analysis indicates that the pulling force is hardly affected by the classified energy groups but the driving force is sensitive, which further reveals that the producers can choose different energy sources according to their production structure. Faced with potential energy scarcity, the shortage of coal may bring considerable economic losses. The energy intervention should be formulated for the sectors that are less dependent on energy. However, it is not recommended to curb energy use in the petroleum, coking, nuclear fuel processing and coal mining sectors, because their sectoral losses can impose significant losses to the entire network. Thus, the scientific results of this study can provide academic support for quantifying the impact of potential energy scarcity, and guide the formulation of energy intervention to achieve sustainable development for energy-dependent regions.

A factorial CGE model for analyzing the impacts of stepped carbon tax on Chinese economy and carbon emission.

Carbon tax is a powerful incentive to mitigate carbon emissions and promote energy revolutions. It is of vital importance to systematically explore and examine the socio-economic impacts of levying a carbon tax, such that desired compromises among socio-economic and environmental objectives can be identified. In order to fill the research gap on the stepped carbon tax, this study is to develop a factorial computable general equilibrium (FCGE) model for examining the interactive effects of multiple policy options (e.g., grouping of emission intensity/level, and relevant tax rates), and supporting the formulation of desired carbon-mitigation policies. It is discovered that (1) carbon tax of 18.37 to 38.25 Yuan/ton is a reasonable policy alternative for China; (2) the stepped carbon tax (high level on coal-related fuels) is more efficiency than conventional carbon tax policy; (3) the positive effects for reducing carbon emission intensity can be strengthened with an increasing step range; (4) interactive effects between stepped carbon taxes on coal-related energies and crude oil related energies should be jointly considered by the policy makers.

Two-pathway perspective for heavy metal emission mitigation: A case study of Guangdong Province, China.

Heavy metal emissions have attracted much worldwide attention for its recalcitrance and persistence. In this study, a two-pathway environmental simulation model is developed to uncover heavy metal emissions as induced by intra-provincial production and extra-provincial investments, filling the gap of mitigating heavy metal emissions from separate pathway. This developed model is applied to Guangdong Province, China targeting on the mitigation of Hg, As, Cd, Cr, and Pb emissions. Additionally, emission reduction simulations are implemented on the basis of key sector identification. The effects of intra-provincial production reduction are more notable than those of extra-provincial investment reduction. In addition, mitigation of Hg and As emissions can be achieved through the reduction in both intra-provincial production and extra-provincial investment. In the contrast, it is not expected that the reduction of extra-provincial investment be duo to the emission mitigation of Cd, Cr and Pb. Moreover, an examination of five optimized scenarios reveals that the most remarkable emission mitigation pathway is the reduction of intra- and extra-provincial activities. This study is an indispensable reference for multi-pathway emission mitigation for heavy metals.

Development of a novel nano-based detection card by electrospinning for rapid and sensitive analysis of pesticide residues.

BACKGROUND: Increasing food safety awareness of consumers promotes the development of rapid and sensitive detection techniques for pesticide residues. In this study, a new type of rapid detection card for organophosphorus and carbamate pesticide residues was developed by electrospinning. The card involved enzyme fiber mat (EFM) and substrate fiber mat (SFM) which were prepared by mixing poly(vinyl alcohol) with acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and indolyl acetate (IA), respectively. RESULTS: The mean diameter of fibers was 240 ± 53 nm for EFM and 387 ± 84 nm for SFM. Results of Fourier transform infrared and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopies confirmed that AChE and IA were successfully encapsulated into the fibers. The minimum concentrations of AChE and IA for effective detection were 1 and 3 mg mL-1 , respectively, and the optimal detection time was 15 min. The limits of detection for this card were 0.5 mg L-1 for omethoate, 1.5 mg L-1 for malathion, 0.1 mg L-1 for carbaryl and 0.02 mg L-1 for carbofuran. The detection card exhibited good storage stability and its activity could be maintained when stored at room temperature for at least 4 months. Additionally, the EFM can be reused three times. CONCLUSIONS: The detection card obtained here was superior to a commercial card in detecting pesticide residues in real food samples. Hence, this electrospun detection card has potential for simple, rapid and sensitive analysis of pesticide residues. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry.

Dynamic wastewater-induced research based on input-output analysis for Guangdong Province, China.

Large amounts of wastewater discharge have emerged as a burden in the process of industrialization and urbanization. In this study, a dynamic wastewater-induced input-output model is developed to systematically analyze the related situation. The developed model is applied to Guangdong Province, China to analyze its prominent characteristics from 2002 to 2015. Combining input-output analysis, ecological network analysis and structural decomposition analysis, the developed model reveals issues of direct and indirect discharges, relationships among various discharges, and driving forces of wastewater discharges. It is uncovered that Primary Manufacturing and Advanced Manufacturing dominate the system because of significant temporal and spatial variations in wastewater discharge. In addition, Manufacturing of paper, computer and machinery and Services are the key industries responsible for large amounts of wastewater discharge and unhealthy source-discharge relationships. The largest wastewater discharge occurred in 2005 and indirect wastewater discharge is the main form. Furthermore, final demand is found to be the biggest driving force of wastewater discharge. Finally, a three-phase policy implementation system implemented in stages proposes solutions to wastewater problems.

Revealing dynamic impacts of socioeconomic factors on air pollution changes in Guangdong Province, China.

The rapid development of cities leads to the frequent occurrence of air pollution incidents, which seriously hinders urban sustainability. This study develops a dynamic regional air pollution analysis (DRA) model to explore the mechanism of air pollutant emission changes. Specifically, the emissions differences among various sectors are distinguished by multi-angle accounting (MAA) method, and sectors' evolutionary trajectories are described by sector evolution analysis (SEA). Through combining emission deconstruction analysis (EDA) and structural decomposition analysis (SDA), key emission patterns and decisive socioeconomic factors are identified. The empirical results indicate that different sectors play different roles in the urban emission system and differentiated regulation policies should be formulated according to their characteristics. Changes of demand and supply patterns can result in the fluctuation in regional air pollutant emissions. Exports and worker's reward are the most significant contributors to air pollution on demand and supply sides, accounting for more than 54.3% and 44.0% of total emissions, respectively. The final demand level and the primary input level are the two biggest drivers of the emission increase, while emission intensity is the most crucial factor that offsets the emission growth. Also, there are significant differences in demand and supply structure. The contribution of primary input structure to emission reduction was more significant than that of final demand structure, which contributed 14.6% in 2015. The findings in this study will provide reliable information for developing more comprehensive and effective mitigation policies.

Three-perspective energy-carbon nexus analysis for developing China's policies of CO2-emission mitigation.

Energy usage and CO2 emission have intimate and inseparable linkages. The growth of energy usage causes an increase in CO2 emissions, which will in turn constrain the related energy policies and challenge the energy-system stability. It is essential to quantify China's CO2 emission inventories embodied in production-driven, demand-driven and supply-driven chains considering different energy types. A Three-Perspective Energy-Carbon Nexus model is developed to facilitate comprehensive CO2 emission-reduction analysis in China. The model incorporates environmental input-output analysis and ecological network analysis within a general framework to clarify the relationships among provinces in terms of the production-based, consumption-based and income-based accountings. A new indicator, indirect emission dominant factor, is for the first time examined to evaluate the dominant capabilities of indirect emissions. It is discovered that the emissions triggered by the demand-side are not sensitive to energy types. Furthermore, the changes of integral flow control intensity in each province are insignificant from consumption-based and income-based perspectives. Final demand contributes 80% of consumption-based emissions and gross value-added creation leads to a total of 82% income-based CO2 emissions in China in 2012. When controlling emissions from multiple perspectives, traditional methods may not be effective since they do not consider the forms of emissions; some methods (e.g., product allocation) are not suitable for suppressing indirect emissions. Moreover, the prosperity of developed regions (e.g. Guangdong) highly rely on support from underdeveloped regions (e.g. Inner Mongolia). Some underdeveloped provinces are receptors of CO2, while the developed ones are emitting CO2 to the system without assuming their emission-reduction responsibilities. In addition, secondary energy consumptions in developed regions are conducive in increasing their emission contributions to the system. In this research, an innovative perspective is initiated to disclose the energy-carbon interconnections across Chinese provinces. The obtained findings could help support the formulation of China's CO2 emission-reduction policies.

Measurement of air-pollution inequality through a three-perspective accounting model.

China is suffering from serious air pollution. Regional air quality varies significantly due to intensive inter-provincial trades, diversified resource endowments and complicated economic structures. This study breaks the limitations of measuring environmental inequality only from a single perspective and establishes a three-perspective atmospheric pollutant equivalents accounting model (or APE accounting model) for air-pollution inequality assessment under environmentally-extend multi-regional input-output framework. From three perspectives of local production (i.e. production-based), final demand (i.e. consumption-based) and primary supply (i.e. income-based), APE emissions, APE transfers and environmental Gini coefficient are investigated to exam emission responsibilities of various impact factors, evaluate the impacts of inter-provincial trades on pollutants transfers, and characterize regional emission inequalities at both provincial and sectoral levels. The results indicate that local emitters are merely parts of contributors to air pollution. Direct emitters like Hebei Province, primary suppliers like Inner Mongolia and final consumers like Shandong Province induce large amounts of air pollutants as embedded within various economic activities. Because of unequal supply-demand levels and complex exchange mechanisms, three-perspective APE emissions are significantly heterogeneous, especially in mining, construction, energy and material-transformation sectors. Particularly, inequality of the mining sector in embodied emissions has the highest environmental Gini coefficient (0.881). This model provides a framework to assess regional environmental inequality and its findings provide scientific bases for the formulation of desired regional air pollution control policies.

Transfer of virtual water embodied in food: A new perspective.

Food and water are inextricably linked. With the increase of water consumption in irrigation and food growth, water shortage has become an urgent issue. Irrational cross-regional transfer of water embodied in food exacerbates water scarcity and restrict China's sustainable development. Given that, a Virtual Water-Food Nexus Model is developed to quantify the inter-provincial transfer of water embodied in food and to identify the complicated interactions between different provinces. In detail, Environmental Input-Output Analysis is applied to quantitatively estimate the inter-provincial water transfer embodied in food trades. Based on the network constructed by interrelated nature of nexus, the mutual interactions, control situation, and the dominant and weak pathways are examined through the combination of Ecological Network Analysis and Principal Component Analysis. Two new indictors water consumption intensity and water supply capacity are first performed to measure the role of each province from the supply and consume side respectively. It is revealed that interregional food transactions failed to realize water resources dispatching management. Many water-deficient regions suffered from massive virtual water losses through food exports, but water-rich areas still import large quantities of food containing virtual water. Results show that exploitation and competition dominate the ecological relationships between provinces. Agricultural GDP ratio is the indicator which most affect water consumption intensity and water supply capacity. Network-based research contributes more insights into the recognition of water management responsibilities across provinces and municipalities. These findings will provide a scientific support to adjust unreasonable allocation of water resources in China in an attempt to addressing the contradiction between food demand and water shortages.