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  • Hui-juan GUO, Shou-juan TANG, Ling-qiang KONG, Yun GUO, Guang-xin LIU, Li-xiao ZHANG, Lei SHI
    China Environmental Science. 2025, 45(4): 2358-2368.

    Based on the STELLA platform, a system dynamic model was constructed based on technology iteration, service life, and other influencing factors. This model systematically analyzed and simulated wind turbine waste generation under various scenarios, while quantifying the recycling scale of wind turbine waste and its potential carbon emission reduction effects. The results showed that: (1) Under the design lifetime scenario, the new-installed capacity of wind turbines in China were found to be increasing rapidly from 2006 to 2038, reached a trough in 2047, and then increased again. The scale of wind turbine scrapping was rising rapidly, and the peak time of wind turbines wastes with different unit capacities gradually occurred later as the unit capacity increased. (2) Under the design lifetime scenario, the amounts of waste generation components of wind turbines in 2060 were identified as follows: steel(13.67 million tons), aluminum (197200 tons), copper (762300 tons), plastic (137700 tons), fiberglass (1.7644 million tons), electronic devices (162300 tons), permanent magnets (27700 tons), lubricating oil (11000 tons), and concrete (34.76 million tons), respectively. (3) From 2025 to 2060, the cumulative closed-loop recycling of decommissioned wind turbine materials could meet 49.46%, 41.13%, and 32.67% of the total material demand under the short lifetime, design lifetime, and the long lifetime scenario, respectively. The cumulative carbon emission reductions from 2025 to 2060 with 100% resource utilization of steel, aluminum, copper and permanent magnets in scrapped wind turbines under the short lifetime, design lifetime, and the long lifetime scenario were calculated as 246.54 million tons, 175.95 million tons and 122.18 million tons respectively. Extending the wind turbine lifespan, establishing and improving the recycling system for wind power equipment, strengthening the resource recycling capabilities, and promoting advanced recycling technologies such as steel remanufacturing would reduce greenhouse gas emissions effectively. These efforts are considered significant in achieving China’s goals of peak energy production before 2030 and carbon neutrality by 2060.

  • Yu CAO, Ru-ren LI, Hui-fang ZHANG, Hui-ya LI, Jun-jun FANG, Bao-zhang CHEN
    China Environmental Science. 2025, 45(3): 1185-1197.

    As one of the major greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, the spatial distribution characteristics of Methane(CH4)were the main content of climate research. However, differences were observed between the methane column concentration(XCH4)data from multiple satellite sources. A systematic evaluation of these differences was conducted to improve the accuracy of its scientific application. The XCH4 products obtained by the Greenhouse Gases Observing Satellite(GOSAT)and the Tropospheric Monitoring Instrument(TROPOMI)from March 2019 to February 2023 were compared and analyzed, and the Total Carbon Column Observing Network(TCCON)data were used for evaluation. The results showed that the two satellites shared the following common characteristics: XCH4 was higher near the equator and decreased towards the poles, with XCH4 values in the northern hemisphere generally being higher than those in the southern hemisphere; In the interannual variation, the fluctuation range in the southern hemisphere was larger, reaching ±15×10-9; Seasonal variation was characterized by lower values in summer and higher values in winter. The differences were as follows: The data volume of TROPOMI was found to be 1300 times greater than that of GOSAT; The annual average growth rates of GOSAT in North America and Africa(13.08×10-9/a and 13.92×10-9/a)were slightly lower than those of TROPOMI(13.34×10-9/a and 14.12×10-9/a), while the interannual amplitude in South America(16.10×10-9/a)was found to be larger. The XCH4 difference between the two satellites in summer was found to be the largest, with a measurement of -5.00×10-9. Verification and analysis with TCCON data showed that both satellites exhibited high consistency, although errors were also observed. Specifically, the differences between TCCON and GOSAT and TROPOMI were -7.61×10-9(-4.59×10-9 and -4.63×10-9 in the northern and southern hemispheres, respectively)and -5.03×10-9(-6.70×10-9 and 0.18×10-9 in the northern and southern hemispheres, respectively).

  • Jian-hua MAI, Ling-ling YU, Tao DENG, Dao-hang WU, Peng-cheng QING, Xin-yang YU
    China Environmental Science. 2025, 45(3): 1198-1209.

    Using surface meteorological and air quality observational data and the 5th Generation of ECMWF Reanalysis data(ERA5), the characteristics of ozone(O3)pollution impact by the sea-land breezes(SLBs)over the Pearl River Estuary(PRE)in 2022 were studied. The results showed that the SLBs days in the seven cities of PRE were at the range of 40~64, and most of SLBs days occurred in spring and autumn. The averaged median of maximum daily 8-hour average of O3(O3-8h)and over-standard rate of regional SLBs days were 141µg/m3 and 38%, respectively, while only 74µg/m3 and 11% were found in non-SLBs days. The averaged O3-8h were 26%, 41% and 29%, respectively, higher in SLBs days than those of non-SLBs days in Zhuhai, Zhongshan and Jiangmen(ZZJ), the three cities located in the western part of PRE, indicating that the impact of SLBs was the most significant in those areas. The averaged time of peak concentration in SLBs days was 0.5h later than that of non-SLBs days, with 29% increase in averaged peak concentration. When the sea breezes firstly occurred at 17:00 and 18:00, 72% and 41% of the hourly growth rates of ozone concentrations were positive, and the averaged growth rates were 5% and 7% higher, respectively, than those of non-SLBs days. But the growth rates declined obviously 1h after the occurrence of sea breezes. The averaged recirculation factor(RF)of SLBs days was 39% lower than those of north wind days and south wind days. RF of transition periods was 14% and 15% lower than those of land and sea breezes periods, respectively. Besides, compared to non-SLBs over-standard days, RF in SLBs over-standard days was 28%lower. The atmospheric diffusion capability was weakened by the SLBs, and that exacerbated the ozone pollution.

  • Jia-yuan MI, Ye DENG, Xin-yi LI, Jing-zhe TONG, Na LI, Chang-jian NI
    China Environmental Science. 2025, 45(3): 1210-1217.

    Based on the hourly observational data from October to December 2017 in Chengdu, as well as the simultaneous data of atmospheric visibility(V), relative humidity(RH)and nitrogen dioxide(NO2), aerosol hygroscopic growth factor(Gf)was retrieved by Mie scattering theory coupled with immune evolutionary algorithm, and then aerosol hygroscopic parameter κ was calculated by κ-köhler theory, the variation characteristics of aerosol hygroscopic parameter κ and its influencing factors were analyzed during the haze process. The results showed that: The aerosol hygroscopic parameters κ were 0.142±0.092、0.149±0.088、0.191±0.061and 0.200±0.041 under mild, light, moderate and heavy haze intensity conditions respectively. The set of explanatory variables of aerosol hygroscopicity parameter κ was determined, including CBC, CBC/CPM2.5, CPM1/CPM2.5 and CPM2.5/CPM10(CBC, CPM1, CPM2.5 and CPM10 represented mass concentrations of BC, PM1, PM2.5 and PM10 respectively). There were significant differences in the explanatory power for aerosol hygroscopic parameter κ of each variable as the haze intensities changed. The multifactor GAM model could be well characterized aerosol hygroscopic parameter κ variation(passed the significance test of α=0.001). As to the above four haze conditions, the corresponding adjusted coefficients of determination(R2)were 0.303, 0.488, 0.504 and 0.631, the coefficients of determination(R2)for the regression of the pressure axis were 0.327, 0.517, 0.558 and 0.739, and the residual sum of squares(RSS)were 1.448, 0.721, 0.209, and 0.025, respectively. The above study revealed the complexity of the multifactorial influence on aerosol hygroscopic parameter κ, and further clarified the intrinsic connection between aerosol hygroscopicity and haze evolution.

  • Si-qi LI, Er-shi HUA, Min-peng CHEN
    China Environmental Science. 2025, 45(3): 1218-1230.

    Using the inventory model, this study evaluated the tempo-spatial characteristics of methane emissions from rice cultivation at the county level and their emission intensity per unit of rice production over the period 1980~2060. A comparison of mitigation potentials was also conducted between the baseline(BAU)scenario, the conventional technical potential(TP)scenario, and the maximum technical potential(MTP)scenario. The results showed that China's rice cultivation methane emissions decreased and then increased from 1980 to 2020, and that they decreased by 19% in 2020 compared to 1980. Over the same period, the intensity of emissions declined by 46%. Under the TP and MTP scenarios, methane emissions are reduced by 26% and 70%, respectively, while emission intensity is reduced by 26% and 68%, respectively. Rice cultivation methane emissions and their intensity have shifted to the east during the period 1980~2020, with the emission gravity center moving to the northeast by 347km and the intensity gravity center moving to the southeast by 411km during this period. Both emissions and intensities decreased in counties in the southern regions, such as Hunan, Hubei, and Jiangxi. Rice cultivation is gradually being replaced in high-intensity regions such as Xinjiang, Shandong, and Henan, which is resulting in declining emissions. Although emissions in northeastern regions have increased, their intensity levels remain relatively low. Water management for rice has the greatest mitigation potential, contributing more than 60% of the total mitigation potential. There is a high mitigation potential in regions with high emissions, such as Hunan, Hubei, Jiangxi, Heilongjiang, and Guangdong, where the average mitigation potential is twice that of other regions.

  • Xiao-xin BAI, Xiang-yang GUO, Chun-ling WU, Feng-bin WANG, Xu LI, Wei-lin LIU
    China Environmental Science. 2025, 45(3): 1231-1240.

    In this study, a diesel vehicle NH3 emission prediction model based on the fusion framework of Convolutional Neural Network(CNN)and Transformer is proposed. The model was developed by integrating the local feature extraction capability of CNN with the global dependency modeling capability of Transformer, enabling the highly accurate prediction of NH3 emissions from diesel vehicles under real road driving conditions. The study was conducted based on the actual on-road emissions test data of an N3-class diesel vehicle. Feature screening was performed using the Pearson correlation coefficient method, and the key hyperparameters of the model were optimized through the application of the Bayesian algorithm, which enhanced its performance. Additionally, the SHapley Additive exPlanations(SHAP)algorithm was utilized to identify the pivotal factors influencing NH3 emissions. The results indicated that the proposed model achieved highly accurate predictions of NH3 emissions from diesel vehicles in real road driving conditions when tested on an independent dataset. The R2, MAE, and MSE values of the predicted NH3 concentration compared to the actual measured values were 0.986, 0.663, and 2.285, respectively, which were significantly superior to those obtained by the traditional Random Forest(RF)model, the Long Short-Term Memory(LSTM)neural network model, and the Transformer model. This study provided an efficient and reliable method for monitoring NH3 emissions from in-use diesel vehicles and offered a novel perspective for elucidating the principal factors influencing NH3 emissions from diesel vehicles on the road.

  • Zhi-xuan BAI, Ye-yu YAN, Jian-tao JI, Bao-dan JIN, Ye LIU, Jing-jing DU, Lan WANG
    China Environmental Science. 2025, 45(3): 1241-1250.

    In order to investigate the tolerance of endogenous partial denitrification(EPD)system to different types of low molecular weight polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons(PAHs)and to explore methods to enhance the impact resistance of EPD systems, this study first acclimated EPD systems with 20mg/L PAHs(phenanthrene and anthracene), and then added other types of PAHs(anthracene, phenanthrene, and naphthalene)at concentrations of 0~80mg/L to the EPD system to analyze the mechanisms of PAHs tolerance by batch tests. The results indicated that under the stress of phenanthrene and anthracene, the EPD systems maintained a high accumulation rate of 86% for NO2--N and a removal capacity of 50% for PO43--P. In the anthracene system, the microorganisms secreted more extracellular polymeric substances to protect themselves, while a greater enrichment of PAH-RHD GNF/R and PAH-RHD GPF/R genes was observed to enhance tolerance to PAHs in the phenanthrene system. The introduction of phenanthrene and anthracene significantly enriched denitrifying glycan bacteria and denitrifying phosphorus accumulating bacteria. The denitrifying activity of the EPD system acclimated with phenanthrene was(167.429±2.321)mgN/(gVSS⋅h), and it still maintained a well phosphorus removal capacity under the stress of naphthalene and anthracene. The EPD system acclimated with anthracene maintained high NO2--N accumulation capacity under the stress of naphthalene and phenanthrene, with denitrifying bacterial activity at(220.137±0.575)mgN/(gVSS⋅h). This study provides the theoretical support for the tolerance of EPD systems to low molecular weight PAHs and also proposes insights into enhancing the impact resistance of EPS system through technological interventions, which has significant importance for optimizing the operational effectiveness of EPD in wastewater treatment.

  • Yi CHEN, Yin-ning HE, Da WANG, Shuang SONG, Jun MA
    China Environmental Science. 2025, 45(3): 1251-1259.

    A CN-supported Mn3O4(Mn3O4-CN)composite was synthesized as a catalyst for the catalytic ozonation of 2,3-dimethylpyrazine degradation in wastewater. The catalytic efficiencies of 2, 3-dimethylpyrazine were investigated under various ozone dosages, catalyst dosages, pH and temperature conditions. The results showed that under the conditions of an ozone dosage of 3mg/L, a catalyst dosage of 0.02g/L, pH =7 and a temperature of 10℃, the degradation rate of pollutants reached 100% within 20 min. Scanning electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction and other characterization methods were used to analyze the properties of the prepared Mn3O4-CN. It was confirmed that Mn3O4 and CN were successfully bonded, and the valence states of Mn were mostly +2 and +3. The reactive oxygen species analysis demonstrated that the surface hydroxyl groups and oxygen vacancies were identified as the main active sites, and ⋅OH was the main active oxygen species generated in the reaction system. The cyclic experiments showed that the Mn3O4-CN has good stability and reusability.

  • Jun HOU, Xiao XU, Jia-lin YANG, Xiao ZHAO, Zi-jun YANG
    China Environmental Science. 2025, 45(3): 1260-1271.

    A metal polyphenol-modified TiO2 photocatalytic membrane((TA-Fe3+)/TiO2-PVDF)was prepared by a layer-by-layer self-assembly method using polyvinylidene difluoride(PVDF)membranes as the substrate, and an in situ photocatalytic membrane filtration system was constructed to degrade tetracycline in water. The structures of the photocatalytic membranes were characterized by SEM, EDS, XRD, FTIR and contact angle meter, and all the characterization results proved the successful coating of((TA-Fe3+)/TiO2-PVDF)and the enhanced hydrophilicity of the membrane surfaces; and tetracycline as a representative of the antibiotics was selected for the study of the degradation performance, which was achieved at a low dosage(50mg/L)of peroxydisulfate(PMS), a transmembrane pressure of 5 kPa, and an in situ photocatalytic membrane filtration system to degrade tetracycline in water. 250 mW/cm2visible light intensity, the tetracycline degradation rate was always maintained at 80% during 1h operation, the average removal rate of tetracycline was 7.34g/h, and the water flux only decreased by 6% compared with that of the original PVDF membranes, which is suitable for neutral and weakly acidic conditions, and basically unaffected by common ions in the water column and natural organic matter; finally, the mechanism of tetracycline degradation by(TA-Fe3+)/TiO2-PVDF membranes was investigated by active species capture assay and EPR, and it was found that photocatalysis synergistically with PMS oxidation produced 1O2, h+, O2-· and SO4·- as the main active species, and degraded tetracycline by both the free radical and non-free radical pathways.

  • Hong HU, Cheng-huan PAN, Yi-qing LIU
    China Environmental Science. 2025, 45(3): 1272-1279.

    In this study, the degradation efficiency and mechanism of oxytetracycline(OTC)in the Fe(Ⅲ)/peracetic acid(PAA)system were investigated, and the effects of initial pH, reagents dosage and water components on OTC degradation were also explored. The results suggested that in the degradation of OTC by Fe(Ⅲ)/PAA system, Fe(Ⅲ)complexed with OTC to form Fe(Ⅲ)-OTC complex, which reduced Fe(Ⅲ)to Fe(II)through internal electron transfer. Subsequently, the generated Fe(II)catalyzed PAA to produce reactive species, thus accelerating the degradation of OTC. The results of chemical probe and radical quenching experiments showed that organic radicals(CH3C(O)O• and CH3C(O)OO•), HO• and Fe(IV)played major roles for the degradation of OTC in Fe(III)/PAA system. Acidic conditions were beneficial to the degradation of OTC in this system, while the removal of OTC under neutral and weakly alkaline conditions was mainly due to the PAA oxidation. The removal efficiency of OTC increased gradually with the increase of PAA or Fe(Ⅲ)dosage, but their excess concentration would inhibit OTC degradation. The presence of Cl- and natural organic matter in Fe(Ⅲ)/PAA systeminhibited the degradation of OTC, while NO3-, SO42- and HCO3- had little effect on OTC removal. The Fe(Ⅲ)/PAA system also ha d a good treatment effect on the other tetracycline pollutants.