Source to Sea – Investigation of Microplastics in an agricultural catchment in Eastern England

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gertruda Zieniute ◽  
Daniel Magnone ◽  
Mark Macklin
Keyword(s):  
Rural Areas ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Anthropogenic Sources ◽  
Shellfish Aquaculture ◽  
Long Term Storage ◽  
Riverbed Sediments ◽  
River Catchments ◽  
Environmental Compartments

<p>Global plastic demand has led to a growing abundance of microplastics being detected across all environmental compartments. These microplastics pose a long-term health risk to ecosystems through accumulation, ingestion and leaching of chemicals. Knowledge of microplastics in river catchments has been limited due to their complexity, however as microplastics have a terrestrial origin, freshwater systems are considered to be a key pathway to other environments. They can transport microplastics to marine environments, act as temporary and long-term storage and aid degradation of larger plastics into smaller fragments that enter the aquatic system.</p><p>As microplastics are linked to anthropogenic sources, much of the focus has been placed on urban and industrial areas, but in this study, we aim to assess a rural, agricultural catchment. River Witham catchment in Eastern England covers the area of 3,000km<sup>2</sup> with a population of ~400,000. The river provides important drainage for the high-grade agricultural land in the fens and it discharges into the Wash, which is England’s largest nature reserve as well as an important area for shellfish aquaculture.</p><p>This presentation will address the preliminary findings of this project by detailing the spatial variability of microplastics storage in riverbed sediments in an agricultural catchment. Data suggests that microplastic concentration could be as high in rural areas as it is in urban areas. The findings are expected to help improve the knowledge of microplastic contamination on a catchment level and to act as a basis for regional environmental protection.</p>

Decadal and seasonal water quality trends downstream of urban and rural areas in southern Alberta rivers

2012 ◽  
Vol 47 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 406-420 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. Turnbull ◽  
M. C. Ryan
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Quality Data ◽  
Urban Centers ◽  
Water Quality Data ◽  
Sampling Locations ◽  
Southern Alberta

Seasonal and long-term water quality changes downstream of urban and agricultural land uses were compared using chloride, fecal coliform (FC), Escherichia coli and discharge from five long-term river monitoring sites in the Bow and Oldman watersheds in southern Alberta. Water quality data from up- and downstream locations of two major urban centers (Calgary and Lethbridge) and single sampling locations downstream of three agricultural sites were evaluated. Significant monotonic, decadal increases in chloride mass fluxes observed downstream of both urban areas were consistent with increasing chloride fluxes in wastewater effluent from increasing populations. Significant step function decreases in FC concentrations downstream of the two urban centers (89% at Calgary, 70% at Lethbridge) observed after UV disinfection were introduced at upstream wastewater treatment plants, suggesting wastewater disinfection improved river water quality. Significant monotonic decreases in pathogen indicators were found at only one of the three agricultural sampling locations. Seasonal variations in indicator bacteria were consistent with a constant source at the urban downstream sites, while variable seasonal loading patterns at the agricultural sites were attributed to seasonally changing land use. This suggests that the urban centers are more significantly mitigating pathogens in rivers than rural areas despite their significant growth.

scholarly journals Seasonal variation and spatial distribution of carbonaceous aerosols in Taiwan

2010 ◽  
Vol 10 (19) ◽  
pp. 9563-9578 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. C.-K. Chou ◽  
C. T. Lee ◽  
M. T. Cheng ◽  
C. S. Yuan ◽  
S. J. Chen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Distribution ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Air Pollutants ◽  
Chemical Properties ◽  
Anthropogenic Sources ◽  
Carbonaceous Aerosols ◽  
Urban Rural ◽  
Southern Taiwan ◽  
Northern Taiwan

Abstract. To investigate the physico-chemical properties of aerosols in Taiwan, an observation network was initiated in 2003. In this work, the measurements of the mass concentration and carbonaceous composition of PM10 and PM2.5 are presented. Analysis on the data collected in the first 5-years, from 2003 to 2007, showed that there was a very strong contrast in the aerosol concentration and composition between the rural and the urban/suburban stations. The five-year means of EC at the respective stations ranged from 0.9±0.04 to 4.2±0.1 μgC m−3. In rural areas, EC accounted for 2–3% of PM10 and 3–5% of PM2.5 mass loadings, comparing to 4–6% of PM10 and 4–8% of PM2.5 in the urban areas. It was found that the spatial distribution of EC was consistent with CO and NOx across the network stations, suggesting that the levels of EC over Taiwan were dominated by local sources. The measured OC was split into POC and SOC counterparts following the EC tracer method. Five-year means of POC ranged from 1.8±0.1 to 9.7±0.2 μgC m−3 among the stations. It was estimated that the POM contributed 5–17% of PM10 and 7–18% of PM2.5 in Taiwan. On the other hand, the five-year means of SOC ranged from 1.5±0.1 to 3.8±.3 μgC m−3. The mass fractions of SOM were estimated to be 9–19% in PM10 and 14–22% in PM2.5. The results showed that the SOC did not exhibit significant urban-rural contrast as did the POC and EC. A significant cross-station correlation between SOC and total oxidant was observed, which means the spatial distribution of SOC in Taiwan was dominated by the oxidant mixing ratio. Besides, correlation was also found between SOC and particulate nitrate, implying that the precursors of SOA were mainly from local anthropogenic sources. In addition to the spatial distribution, the carbonaceous aerosols also exhibited distinct seasonality. In northern Taiwan, the concentrations of all the three carbonaceous components (EC, POC, and SOC) reached their respective minima in the fall season. POC and EC increased drastically in winter and peaked in spring, whereas the SOC was characterized by a bimodal pattern with the maximal concentration in winter and a second mode in summertime. In southern Taiwan, minimal levels of POC and EC occurred consistently in summer and the maxima were observed in winter, whereas the SOC peaked in summer and declined in wintertime. The discrepancies in the seasonality of carbonaceous aerosols between northern and southern Taiwan were most likely caused by the seasonal meteorological settings that dominated the dispersion of air pollutants. Moreover, it was inferred that the Asian pollution outbreaks could have shifted the seasonal maxima of air pollutants from winter to spring in the northern Taiwan, and that the increases in biogenic SOA precursors and the enhancement in SOA yield were responsible for the elevated SOC concentrations in summer.

scholarly journals Returning home to die: Circular labour migration and mortality in South Africa 1

2007 ◽  
Vol 35 (69_suppl) ◽  
pp. 35-44 ◽  
Author(s):  
Samuel J. Clark ◽  
Mark A. Collinson ◽  
Kathleen Kahn ◽  
Kyle Drullinger ◽  
Stephen M. Tollman
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Terminal Illness ◽  
Event History Analysis ◽  
Historical Period ◽  
Short Term ◽  
History Analysis ◽  
Working Age

Aim: To examine the hypothesis that circular labour migrants who become seriously ill while living away from home return to their rural homes to convalesce and possibly to die. Methods: Drawing on longitudinal data collected by the Agincourt health and demographic surveillance system in rural northeastern South Africa between 1995 and 2004, discrete time event history analysis is used to estimate the likelihood of dying for residents, short-term returning migrants, and long-term returning migrants controlling for sex, age, and historical period. Results: The annual odds of dying for short-term returning migrants are generally 1.1 to 1.9 times (depending on period, sex, and age) higher than those of residents and long-term returning migrants, and these differences are generally highly statistically significant. Further supporting the hypothesis is the fact that the proportion of HIV/TB deaths among short-term returning migrants increases dramatically as time progresses, and short-term returning migrants account for an increasing proportion of all HIV/TB deaths. Conclusions: This evidence strongly suggests that increasing numbers of circular labour migrants of prime working age are becoming ill in the urban areas where they work and coming home to be cared for and eventually to die in the rural areas where their families live. This shifts the burden of caring for them in their terminal illness to their families and the rural healthcare system with significant consequences for the distribution and allocation of health care resources.

scholarly journals A Traditional Closed-Loop Sanitation System in a Chronic Emergency: A Qualitative Study from Afghanistan

Water ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 298 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sayed Mohammad Nazim Uddin ◽  
Jean Lapegue ◽  
Jutta Gutberlet ◽  
Jan Franklin Adamowski ◽  
Caetano C. Dorea ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Rural Areas ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Closed Loop ◽  
Focus Group Discussions ◽  
Group Discussions ◽  
The World ◽  
Smart Community ◽  
Urban And Rural Areas ◽  
Sanitation Systems

The use of closed-loop sanitation systems (CLSS), or reuse-oriented sanitation systems, has increased in recent years, and such systems have been successfully implemented in many parts of the world. However, no research has explored Traditional CLSS (T-CLSS) for a long-term humanitarian situation. This study explores the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) of T-CLSS in peri-urban and rural contexts in three different provinces in Afghanistan (the first study of its kind in Afghanistan). Participatory research tools, such as transect walks, focus group discussions, smart community gatherings and interactive workshops, were applied to assess the SWOT associated with T-CLSS. The results indicate that T-CLSS has been practiced historically in both peri-urban and rural areas using local and traditional knowledge, skills and technologies. The socio-cultural acceptance of the system in both rural and peri-urban areas is an important strength of this established system. However, due to chronic development challenges in the study regions, T-CLSS may possibly lead to exposure to microbial contaminants. It is recommended that the feasibility of an improved CLSS be assessed and implemented in light of the issues that are inherent in the use of T-CLSS in Afghanistan.

Length-Based Vehicle Classification Schemes and Length Bin Boundaries

2013 ◽  
Vol 2339 (1) ◽  
pp. 19-29 ◽  
Author(s):  
Herbert Weinblatt ◽  
Erik Minge ◽  
Scott Petersen
Keyword(s):  
Rural Areas ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
The United States ◽  
Traffic Monitoring ◽  
Vehicle Classification ◽  
Pavement Performance ◽  
Department Of Transportation ◽  
Classification Schemes ◽  
Weigh In Motion

Vehicle classification data are an important component of traffic-monitoring programs. Although most vehicle classification conducted in the United States is axle based, some applications could be supplemented or replaced by length-based data. The typically higher deployment cost and reliability issues associated with collecting axle-based data as compared with length-based data present a challenge. This paper reports on analyses of alternative length-based vehicle classification schemes and appropriate length bin boundaries. The primary analyses use data from a set of 13 Long-Term Pavement Performance weigh-in-motion sites, all in rural areas; additional analyses are conducted with data from 11 Michigan Department of Transportation weigh-in-motion sites located in rural and small urban areas and one site located in an urbanized area. For most states, the recommended length-based vehicle classification scheme is a four-bin scheme (motorcycles, short, medium, and long) with an optional very long bin recommended for use by states in which significant numbers of longer combination vehicles operate.

scholarly journals Global assessment of rural–urban interface in Portugal related to land cover changes

2018 ◽  
Vol 18 (6) ◽  
pp. 1647-1664 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marj Tonini ◽  
Joana Parente ◽  
Mário G. Pereira
Keyword(s):  
Land Cover ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Socioeconomic Development ◽  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Fire Risk ◽  
Anthropogenic Factors ◽  
Burnt Area ◽  
Mediterranean Countries ◽  
Cover Class

Abstract. The rural–urban interface (RUI), known as the area where structures and other human developments meet or intermingle with wildland and rural area, is at present a central focus of wildfire policy and its mapping is crucial for wildfire management. In the Mediterranean Basin, humans cause the vast majority of fires and fire risk is particularly high in the proximity of infrastructure and of rural/wildland areas. RUI's extension changes under the pressure of environmental and anthropogenic factors, such as urban growth, fragmentation of rural areas, deforestation and, more in general, land use/land cover change (LULCC). As with other Mediterranean countries, Portugal has experienced significant LULCC in the last decades in response to migration, rural abandonment, ageing of population and trends associated with the high socioeconomic development. In the present study, we analyzed the LULCC occurring in this country in the 1990–2012 period with the main objective of investigating how these changes affected RUI's evolution. Moreover, we performed a qualitative and quantitative characterization of burnt areas within the RUI in relation to the observed changes. Obtained results disclose important LULCC and reveal their spatial distribution, which is far from uniform within the territory. A significant increase in artificial surfaces was registered near the main metropolitan communities of the northwest, littoral-central and southern regions, whilst the abandonment of agricultural land near the inland urban areas led to an increase in uncultivated semi-natural and forest areas. Within agricultural areas, heterogeneous patches suffered the greatest changes and were the main contributors to the increase in urban areas; moreover, this land cover class, together with forests, was highly affected by wildfires in terms of burnt area. Finally, from this analysis and during the investigated period, it appears that RUI increased in Portugal by more than two-thirds, while the total burnt area decreased by one-third; nevertheless, burnt area within RUI doubled, which emphasizes the significance of RUI monitoring for land and fire managers.

scholarly journals Urban Agriculture: Search for Agricultural Practice in Urbanized Rural Areas

2017 ◽  
Vol 5 (12) ◽  
pp. 1461
Author(s):  
Celile Özçiçek Dölekoğlu ◽  
Sema Gün
Keyword(s):  
Food Security ◽  
Urban Agriculture ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Environmental Benefits ◽  
Agricultural Practice ◽  
Rapid Urbanization ◽  
The World ◽  
The One

Rapid urbanization in developing countries involves unplanned migration, unemployment and poverty. The steady shrinking of rural areas and the use of agricultural land for other purposes are progressively increasing the pressure on natural resources. This development on the one hand increases the risk to food security, and on the other triggers climate change. The rural population who migrate to the cities or who are absorbed into urban areas continue their agricultural activities in the urban in order to provide themselves with an income or to maintain their food security. In the big cities of the developed world, contact with nature is kept by means of hobby gardens, recreational areas and urban and suburban plant and animal farming, and creative ideas such as roof gardens can be found. This development, known as urban agriculture, is practiced by 800 million people in the world. Urban agriculture has many economic, social and environmental benefits, but it may also have risks and adverse effects. In this study, the developments in this area in Turkey and the world are presented, and all aspects of its effects and outcomes are discussed.

scholarly journals Assessing the Effects of Access to Safe Drinking Water on Children’s Nutritional Status in Indonesia

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 55-72
Author(s):  
Ryota Nakamura ◽  
◽  
Takumi Kondo ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Drinking Water ◽  
Nutritional Status ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Child Nutrition ◽  
Safe Drinking Water ◽  
Percentage Points ◽  
Short And Long Term ◽  
Nutritional Status Of Children

This study analyzed the effects of access to safe drinking water on the nutritional status of children under the age of 59 months in urban and rural areas in Indonesia using the Indonesian Family Life Survey 5. Both piped water and packaged water were considered safe to drink. The descriptive statistics show that children in rural areas typically had insufficient access to safe drinking water and children who consumed safe drinking water had higher short- and long-term nutrition levels. To mitigate selection bias due to the non-random distribution of access to safe drinking water, a matching estimation was used to quantitatively determine the effects of access to safe drinking water on child nutrition. The provision of safe drinking water improved the short- and long-term nutritional status of children in rural areas but had no significant effect to that of children in urban areas. A simulation of this effect on child nutrition shows that in rural areas, improved access to safe drinking water decreases the stunting ratio by 13 percentage points and the wasting ratio by 6.1 percentage points. Additionally, both household income levels and community drinking water prices are important determinants of access to safe drinking water. Therefore, access to safe drinking water is necessary to improve the nutritional status of children in rural Indonesia, and community characteristics contribute to access.

Clinical and legal implications of gangs

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Annette L. Hanson
Keyword(s):  
Rural Areas ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Geographic Location ◽  
Control Unit ◽  
Institutional Management ◽  
Legal Implications ◽  
Eighth Amendment ◽  
Violent Acts ◽  
Male Inmates

Gangs are a fact of life in jails and prisons. The extent and impact of gang activity on a facility will depend upon the size and geographic location of the facility. Smaller jails and prisons, or facilities in rural areas, are more likely to be involved with local or regional groups, also known as street gangs, while large facilities in urban areas will be affected more by nationally known or connected gangs. One survey of Florida prisoners found that inmates who were suspected or confirmed gang members were 35% more likely to commit violent acts than non-members. In a study of 2,158 male inmates in the Arizona Department of Corrections, gang-affiliated inmates were more than twice as likely as nonaffiliated inmates to commit an assault during the first three years of confinement Since institutional management often involves restriction of privileges, placement on long-term segregation, or transfer to a control unit prison, advocacy groups and individual inmates have filed suit against these policies based on First and Eighth Amendment, religious freedom, and anti-discrimination claims. Gang validation procedures themselves have been challenged as arbitrary and inaccurate, leading to inappropriate segregation or restrictions on prisoners who have exhibited no institutional violence. Psychiatrists need to be aware of the dynamics of gang leadership, membership or involvement when working with any gang member, as that will affect their ability and interest in collaborative treatment. These issues and best practices for intervention will be presented in this chapter.

scholarly journals Prediction the Contribution Rate of Long-Term Care Insurance for the Aged in China Based on the Balance of Supply and Demand

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (8) ◽  
pp. 3144 ◽  
Author(s):  
Liangwen Zhang ◽  
Sijia Fu ◽  
Ya Fang
Keyword(s):  
Rural Areas ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Long Term Care ◽  
Population Census ◽  
Contribution Rate ◽  
Term Care ◽  
Disabled Elderly ◽  
Long Term Care Insurance ◽  
Per Capita

There are a large number of disabled elderly people in China, which results in huge care and financial burdens to their families and society. However, China has not yet launched a unified long-term care insurance (LTCI) system. This study aims to predict the contribution rate of LTCI in China from 2020 to 2050 based on the long-term care (LTC) cost of the disabled elderly, aged 65 and over, in order to provide strong evidence for the establishment of a unified and sustainable national LTCI system in China. The simulations are based on data from the population census data, the Chinese statistical yearbook, and the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (CLHLS) database. Based on the International Labor Organization (ILO) financing model from the perspective of fund balance, an overall simulation model and a Monte Carlo simulation are used to estimate the contribution rate of LTCI for disabled elderly from 2020 to 2050 in China. The total financial demands will increase sharply from 538.0 billion yuan in 2020 to 8530.8 billion yuan in 2050. Of that total, 80.2% will be required in urban areas. In addition, the per capita financial demands of care in urban and rural areas in 2050 will be approximately six times and 11 times higher than in 2020, respectively. The predicted results show that the overall contribution rate of LTCI in China will increase sharply from 1.46% in 2020 to 5.14% in 2050, an increase of about 3.5 times. By comparison, the contribution rate in 2020 will be close to 1.33% in Japan in 2015 and 1.40% in Germany in 2010. According to the 1:1 payment proportion between employer and employee, each side bears 0.68% of the insurance premium. From 2020 to 2050, the financial demands of long-term care for disabled elderly in China will increase, especially in urban areas, and the burden of per capita financial demands in rural areas will increase significantly. The overall contribution rate of LTCI will increase linearly and the payment burden of policyholders will increase year by year. This study provides evidence of the need for the establishment of a sustainable financing mechanism for multiple financial supplies.

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