From 2013 to 2023, China implemented three phases clean air actions, resulted in significantly reduction in ambient fine particles matter (PM2.5) concentration. However, the phase-specific driving factors behind PM2.5 changes and associated health benefits over this period have not been comprehensively investigated. Here, we quantify the public health burden attributable to changes in PM2.5 concentration, using an integrated framework that combines an emission inventory model, a chemical transport model, and a health risk assessment model. We found that the national PM2.5 concentration decreased substantially by 20.7 μg m-3 (36.8%) during Phase Ⅰ (2013-2017), 4.3 μg m-3 (7.6%) during Phase Ⅱ (2017-2020), and 0.7 μg m-3 (12.1%) during Phase Ⅲ (2020-2023). These reductions led to approximately 0.46 (95% Confidence Interval: 0.40-0.51) million, 0.18 (95%CI: 0.16-0.21) million, and 0.27 (95%CI: 0.23-0.31) million avoided premature deaths, respectively. Considering the influence of driving factors for air pollution control, the contribution of anthropogenic emissions declined markedly from 18.2 μg m-3 in Phase Ⅰ to 3.5 μg m-3 in Phase Ⅱ and 2.0 μg m-3 in Phase Ⅲ, respectively. In contrast, meteorological conditions shifted from reducing PM2.5 concentration in Phases I and II (-2.5 and -0.8 μg m-3) to increasing it in Phase III (+1.3 μg m-3). The diminishing marginal effectiveness of air quality improvement during Phase Ⅱ and Phase Ⅲ was attributed to both the saturation of end-of-pipe control technologies and increasingly unfavorable meteorological conditions. Although PM2.5 reduction potentials substantially diminished after 2020, the PM2.5-related avoided deaths in Phase Ⅲ accounted for 29.8% of total cases, exceeding that of Phase Ⅱ (20.0%) and revealing a nonlinear health response. Our results underscore that health-oriented collaborative strategies for air pollution and climate mitigation are critical for achieving substantial air quality improvements in the future.

As global greenhouse gases continue rising, the urgency of more ambitious action is clearer than ever before. China is the world's biggest emitter of greenhouse gases and one of the countries affected most by climate change. The evidence about the impacts of climate change on the environment and human health may encourage China to take more decisive action to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to climate impacts. This article aimed to review the evidence of environmental damages and health risks posed by climate change and to provide a new science-based perspective for the delivery of sustainable development goals. Over recent decades, China has experienced a strong warming pattern with a growing frequency of extreme weather events, and the impacts of climate change on China's environment and human health have been consistently observed, with increasing O 3 air pollution, decreases in water resources and availability, land degradation, and increased risks for both communicable and non-communicable diseases. Therefore, China's climate policy should target the key factors driving climate change and scale up strategic measures to curb carbon emissions and adapt to inevitable increasing climate impacts. It provides new insights for not only China but also other countries, particularly developing and emerging economies, to ensure climate and environmental sustainability whilst pursuing economic growth.

High ammonia (NH3) emissions mostly from agricultural sources have contributed to PM2.5 air pollution and excess nitrogen deposition harmful to human and ecosystem health in China. Here we develop an assessment framework combining an agricultural management technology database and evaluate technology combinations for their potentials in NH3 emission reductions and consequent air quality and ecosystem benefits for the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei (BTH) region. Results show that BTH agricultural NH3 emissions can be reduced by up to 57% (274 Gg of N per year) in 2019. With maximum feasible NH3 reduction (57%), annual PM2.5 concentrations and nitrogen deposition in BTH can be reduced by up to 7% and 13%, respectively, which are more significant than the effects of halving local anthropogenic NOx emissions. When combining NH3 and NOx emission reductions, the effects of NH3 controls on PM2.5 mitigation will be suppressed while facilitating more efficient local nitrogen deposition mitigation. Our findings implicate that technically feasible NH3 emission reductions are still useful for current PM2.5 management and nitrogen deposition mitigation. In the near future, with continuous NOx controls, additional NH3 controls are required to further mitigate nitrogen deposition in BTH, while associated air quality benefits would depend nonlinearly upon the levels of NH3 and NOx emission reductions.

Although product environmental information serves as an effective tool for promoting green consumption which is a critical lever for advancing broader sustainability goals, its varied impacts across product categories (durable goods vs. fast-moving consumer goods) and the underlying mechanisms remain unexplored. Grounded in the theory of consumption values (TCV), this study investigated the heterogeneous effects and mediating pathways of such information through a comparative analysis of representative products: organic milk (fast-moving consumer goods, FMCGs) and energy-efficient air conditioners (durable goods). The results show the following: (1) epistemic value, which exhibits the strongest association with product environmental information, demonstrates significantly different influence patterns between purchases of green durable goods and green FMCGs across both online and offline channels; (2) in the e-commerce context, green FMCG consumption is mainly driven by product environmental information through the mediating effect of conditional value. For green durable goods, product environmental information influences green consumption through multiple pathways including functional value, conditional value, and epistemic value. This study extends the classic theory of consumption values, and the results suggest that differentiated information strategies of emphasizing conditional value for FMCGs and integrating multi-dimensional values for durables can optimize green consumption promotion. Such strategies hold substantial potential to strengthen the green development of the omnichannel retailing sector, reinforcing its contribution to reaching sustainability objectives.

Climate change is amplifying the frequency and intensity of extreme temperature events, posing a significant risk for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). This review synthesised epidemiological evidence linking extreme temperature to COPD morbidity and mortality, while elucidating synergistic interactions with other environmental exposures. Combining population-level findings with biomedical mechanistic insights, we proposed a framework illustrating how biomarkers bridge the gap between extreme temperature exposure and COPD, highlighting the pathophysiological mechanisms of prodromal symptoms, key pathogenic processes and early molecular events. The mechanisms and biomarkers identified in this study would provide critical information for elucidating the causal pathways through which extreme temperatures increase COPD risk, and thus inform preventive interventions. Future research should incorporate multi-omics techniques to explore the underlying mechanisms in greater depth, while validating the biomarkers through large-scale cohort studies.

This study applied a life cycle assessment (LCA) and SimaPro software to calculate the carbon footprint of ecological plastic film in Qingcheng Town. The results indicate that the carbon reduction efficiency of ecological plastic film compared to 0.01 mm PE film ranged from 30.8% to 40.0%, without accounting for the substitution of humus for chemical fertilizers. When humus substitution was considered, the range increased to 70.2% to 74.2%. Ecological plastic film achieved the greatest emission reduction in the final treatment stage, accounting for 54.1% of total CO2 reduction, followed by the production stage at 44.8%, while the transportation phase contributed only 1.1%. Projecting to 2030, if half of the cultivated land in Shanxi Province uses ecological plastic film instead of 0.01 mm PE film, a 19.7% reduction in carbon emissions is expected. Full coverage with ecological plastic film could raise this to 39.4%. To encourage its adoption, the study suggests that the government offers financial subsidies to enterprises or farmers, promotes agricultural carbon taxes, or supports carbon trading. With a carbon price or tax exceeding 67.1 CNY/t, ecological plastic film achieves cost parity with 0.01 mm PE plastic film.

Product environmental information is considered a useful strategy to translate consumers’ intention into actual green product purchase behaviors. The underlying theoretical explanations of the importance of information await exploration. This research applies a theory of planned behavior lens to study the theorical mechanism of how product environmental information affects consumer behaviors in the e-commerce context. E-commerce product environmental information is covered in the theoretical model as a new variable which can be studied for its impact on consumer behaviors. As results show, the intention and perceived behavioral control can both positively impact behavior. Specifically, information on behavioral consequences, mediated by perceived control of behavior, can significantly improve purchase behavior for durable products such as air conditioners. Meanwhile, information frequency can positively moderate the relation of perceived behavior control to behavior. For fast-moving consumer goods, information such as online buyer reviews and product ratings can enhance behavior through a chained mediation effect due to intention linked with subjective norms. Information also has heterogeneous impacts on consumers with different demographic attributes. These results can provide practical implications for market practitioners adopting diverse information presentation strategies to promote green products on e-commerce platforms and addressing the gap between intention and behavior.

BACKGROUND:Extreme temperatures are expected to be more frequent, intense, and complex in the context of climate change. However, epidemiologic evidence about associations between extreme temperature and mental disorders is limited. METHODS:We conducted a case-crossover study in Anhui Province, China, focusing on outpatients diagnosed with mental and behavioral disorders (ICD-10 codes: F00-F99), further classified into schizophrenia (F20-F21), depression (F32-F33), and anxiety (F40-F41). Defining the day of each outpatient visit to the Anhui Mental Health Center as the case day, a total of 762,895 case days and 3,362,574 control days were included in the study, covering the period from 2019 to 2021. Each subject was geocoded based on their home address and matched with environmental exposures, including meteorological data and air pollutant data sourced from the CN05.1 and the TAP dataset, respectively. Extreme temperature events were categorized into heat and cold extremes, further divided into daytime, nighttime, and compound extremes. RESULTS:Among the outpatient visits for mental disorders included in this study, the proportions were schizophrenia (28.9 %), depression (23.9 %), and anxiety (18.5 %). Exposure to extreme heat and cold was associated with increased risks of outpatient visits for mental disorders, with odds ratios (ORs) of 2.23 (95 %CI: 2.16-2.30) and 1.95 (95 %CI: 1.89-2.01), respectively. Compound heat extremes posed the highest risk of mental disorders (OR = 1.17, 95 %CI: 1.13-1.22), followed by nighttime (OR = 1.11, 95 %CI: 1.08-1.14) and daytime heat (OR = 1.05, 95 %CI: 1.04-1.07). Notably, the risk of mental disorders significantly elevated with the increased intensity and duration of extreme heat events. Besides, extreme heat was strongly associated with higher risks of depression, schizophrenia and anxiety, while extreme cold was notably linked to schizophrenia. CONCLUSION:These findings indicate a significant correlation between extreme temperature exposure and elevated mental disorder risks, emphasizing the urgent need to address increased mental health risks posed by extreme temperatures in the changing climate.

Childhood asthma is increasingly prevalent globally, leading to a significant disease burden with rising incidence and greater healthcare demands. However, previous research has primarily focused on the impact of temperature variation on hospital visits of childhood asthma, with limited evidence on the effects of lung function parameters. In this continuous eight-year study, we investigated the impact of temperature variation on obstructive pulmonary dysfunction and small airway dysfunction in asthmatic children during summer and winter in Jinan, China. The temperature variation was defined as temperature change between two neighboring days (TCN). Generalized linear models (GLM) were employed to explore associations between temperature variation and obstructive pulmonary ventilation dysfunction, small airway dysfunction and pulmonary function parameters. Results indicated a heightened risk of obstructive pulmonary dysfunction associated with temperature variation, with ORs of 1.103 (95% CI: 1.002, 1.212) for per 1 degrees C increase in TCN in summer and 1.109 (95% CI: 1.000, 1.221) for per 1 degrees C decrease in winter. Similar results were found for small airway dysfunctions, indicating a consistent pattern of risk associated with temperature variation. Additionally, TCN was associated with a statistically significant decline in several lung function parameters, including FEV1/VCmax, FEV1/FVC, MEF25, MEF50 and MMEF in winter. The subgroup analysis by gender revealed that the harmful effects of temperature variation were more pronounced in females during summer and in males during winter. In conclusion, this study found that temperature variation posed significant impacts on the lung function of asthmatic children, which highlighted the need for adaptation strategies to mitigate adverse effects of climate change on children's respiratory health, such as avoiding outdoor activities during significant temperature fluctuations.

The green environmental protection industry has the dual attributes of driving economic growth and coping with environmental problems. The deep integration of “four chains” (i.e., innovation, industrial, capital, and talent chains) is crucial for the high-quality development of the green environmental protection industry and the achievement of the carbon peaking and carbon neutrality goals. Considering the development status of the green environmental protection industry, this study analyzes the characteristics of four-chain integration at different stages of enterprise development. In the early stage of establishment, the capital chain is key to enterprises and an industrial chain is gradually formed driven by the innovation and talent chains. During business expansion of enterprises, the industrial chain is extended, driven by the capital chain and supported by the innovation and talent chains. At the mature stage, enterprises can carry out strategic layout based on the industrial chain while maintaining the innovation chain. However, the four-chain integration in the green environmental protection industry of China still face several problems, including weak connection between the innovation and industrial chains, weak support of the capital chain to other chains, insufficient integration between the talent chain and the innovation and capital chains. To address this, we propose the following suggestions: (1) developing a low-carbon innovation strategy roadmap to clarify the development paths for four-chain integration; (2) improving the compatibility between the innovation and industrial chains; (3) optimizing the capital chain to improve its integration with other chains; (4) improving the talent chain; and (5) clarifying the driving chains according to the development stages of enterprises to ensure the effective integration of the “four chains”.

Solid waste recycling saves resources and energy, reduces carbon emissions, and plays a vital role in forming a green and low-carbon mode of production and living and achieving the carbon peaking and carbon neutrality goals. This study analyzes the development status of the solid waste recycling industry in China and abroad and explores the major challenges faced by the industry of China in terms of process of industrialization, capital investment, and technological innovation. Combined with typical case analyses, we propose the following suggestions to promote the high-quality development of China’s solid waste recycling industry: (1) promoting the process of industrialization to integrate the industrial, innovation, talent, and capital chains; (2) reinforcing incentive policies to consolidate the financial foundation; (3) establishing scientific innovation hubs by strengthening project demonstrations; (4) gathering professional talents to build a high-level cooperation platform.

The concentration of ozone(O-3) in our atmosphere has increased, which makes O-3 a crucial pollutant in the prevention of air pollution. The photocatalytic reaction based on hydroxyl radical has low ozone elimination performance, and the modification method that only increases the production of hydroxyl radical is not suitable for ozone photocatalytic elimination. In this paper, a series of Fe-Bi2WO6@TiO2 composites were prepared by Fe doping and TiO2 2 supporting successively based on Bi2WO6. A series of physical properties characterization and ozone catalytic activity tests were carried out for the composites. The results show that Fe-Bi2WO6@TiO2 has a typical coating structure, exhibits visible light response, and stimulates the formation of chlorine radicals. Chlorine radicals act as active species for eliminating O-3 , driving a photochemical reaction mechanism similar to the "ozone hole effect", that is, the surface chlorinated TiO2 was photoexcited to produce chlorine radicals,triggering a chain reaction,and greatly improving the ozone decomposition performance. The maximum elimination rate of O-3 by Fe-Bi2WO6@TiO2 is 93%. The introduction of chlorine radical and the expansion of visible light response of the composite can greatly improve the photocatalytic ozone elimination ability.

Recent years have seen a significant increase in interest in green manufacturing as a key driver of global carbon-neutral efforts and sustainable development. To find the research hotspots of green manufacturing and reveal future research trends, this study reviewed and analyzed research articles from the Web of Science database on green manufacturing from 1991 to 2022 using a bibliometric method. The findings indicate a significant rise in the number of articles related to green manufacturing since the 2010s. Moreover, there has been an increase in the involvement of scholars from developing countries such as China and India in this field. Based on the literature review and bibliometric cluster analysis on green manufacturing, we believed that future research may continue following the lines of intelligent technology integration, adoption of frontier engineering techniques, and industry development in line with carbon reduction targets. A framework for future green manufacturing development is proposed, with a focus on Chinese policies. The framework could provide policy implications for developing countries looking to pursue opportunities for development in green manufacturing.

Greenhouse gas emission is the focus of global climate change concerns. The change in industrial structure can impact carbon emission efficiency (CEE) by affecting labor and energy input. However, there is an obvious imbalance of labor and energy allocation within China's industrial sectors. Here, we use the super-slacks-based model data envelopment analysis (Super-SBM-DEA) to calculate the CEE of 32 industrial sectors and adopt the Tobit model to analyze the impact of industrial allocation imbalance on CEE. The results show that the overall industry and manufacturing CEE is still at a low level, with an average CEE of 0.53. The industrial sectors with higher CEE are these sectors with advanced innovative technology and low energy consumption. The results of the Tobit model show that the imbalance of labor and energy allocation is the key factor limiting carbon emission efficiency improvement. Furthermore, the imbalance of labor allocation hurts the CEE of labor-intensive sectors. The coefficient of labor allocation imbalance (distL) is −2.483, and the inflow of labor can improve the CEE of non-labor-intensive sectors. The CEE of energy-intensive sectors is sensitive to the imbalance of energy allocation, the marginal impact of energy allocation imbalance (distE) is −2.296. Improving energy efficiency is a key task to reduce carbon emissions in sectors relying on energy input. But for non-energy-intensive sectors, optimizing energy allocation has a limited effect on reducing carbon emissions. This research can provide insights for emerging economies to coordinate carbon reduction and industrial transformation.

Yunnan is rich in renewable energy resources. An understanding of its energy structure and developmental trajectories would assist in enabling the design of suitable decarbonizing pathways and how to fit into the national 30–60 agenda. Drawing from endogenous growth theory and time series analysis, our study employs comparative functions and scenario assessments to predict the changes in the key economic indicators, such as GDP, industrial structure shifts, population, and urbanization rates, during the low-carbon transition. We further show energy structure patterns and intensity trends using regression-modeling and data-fitting methods. Based on our analyses, we project that by 2035, Yunnan’s GDP will grow to CNY 5.4761 trillion, with secondary and tertiary industries contributing 88.8%. The population is estimated to grow to 52.08 million with an urbanization rate of 70%. Moreover, fossil fuel energy consumption is forecasted to diminish to 38.7%, and energy consumption intensity is projected to be reduced to 0.38 tons of standard coal per CNY 10,000. If these metrics follow the inherent endogenous growth trend, Yunnan’s emissions are forecasted to peak at around 220 million tons of CO2 by 2030. These findings not only provide a data foundation for Yunnan’s low-carbon development goals but also illuminate pathways for regions rich in renewable resources to transition towards sustainable growth, emphasizing the harmony between advancement and environmental stewardship.

In this study, the photocatalytic chlorine-radical-mediated reaction dramatically enhanced the catalytic activity of TiO2 for ozone removal, which was different from traditional photocatalytic mechanism driven by hydroxyl radicals. Chlorinated TiO2 was prepared using the sol-gel method and modified through surface chlorination. The ozone-removal efficiency was up to 99.9% over the chlorinated TiO2 under UV light, which was 2.5 times that of bare TiO2. Moreover, experiments also showed that chlorinated TiO2 possessed excellent water-resistance and reusability. Characterization results unveiled that the chlorine is attached to the surface of TiO2 in the form of Ti–Cl bonds, which can capture holes to form·Cl. Subsequently, it was proven that the chain transfer reaction initiated by·Cl was mainly responsible for the remarkable improvement in the photocatalytic conversion of ozone. This new photocatalytic mechanism driven by chlorine radical opens up a new field of ozone removal by photocatalysis.

利用溶胶凝胶法制备了 BiOBr/TiO2复合型光催化剂并进行氯化改性,紫外照射下表现出了较高的臭氧转化能力.随后利用XRD、UV-Vis DRS、TEM、EPR、电化学等方法对催化材料进行表征,分析其光催化反应原理.结果表明,BiOBr/TiO2对臭氧的转化率提升至61％,这是由于二者形成了半导体异质结,光生电子传递降低了载流子复合率,羟基自由基生成量增加;氯化材料的转化率进一步大幅提升至99％,这是由于氯元素在光照条件下生成氯自由基,进而驱动了一种效率更高的链式传递反应.该反应体系在较高湿度下未见明显失活,优于传统α-MnO2,具有应用潜力.

文章选取北京某地铁站作为研究对象,提出一种新的基于污染物扩散态势和人员平均分布密度脆弱性评价指标,用于描述空间内某一位置发生污染气体泄漏或袭击时,该污染源对整个空间的危害程度.根据文章脆弱性分析结果,该地铁站站台层的高风险区域分布在南侧楼梯口处,各位置的脆弱程度随全天时段产生波动,但整体排序保持不变.与单一扩散指标相比,该指标耦合了污染物的扩散趋势及其对内部人员的伤害作用,更加适用于人员密集的实际应用场景.

基于半导体异质结原理,设计并制备了新型氯氧铋/二氧化钛复合光催化材料,以甲基橙为目标污染物,研究了氯氧铋制备条件和复合比例对复合材料的光催化特性的影响,随后利用XRD、UV-Vis DRS、TEM、EPR等方法对催化材料进行表征,从表面形貌、自由基等角度,分析其光催化原理.结果 表明,新型复合光催化材料相对氟氧铋、二氧化钛的单体,具有更强的紫外催化能力,对传统有色染料均具有良好的去除效果.这是由于氯氧铋和二氧化钛可以形成半导体异质结,光生电子传递降低了载流子负荷率,羟基自由基生成量增加,因此光催化性能大幅提升.