Papers

20 results
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Article Tier 2

Multiple Pollutants from Crop and Livestock Production in the Yangtze River: Status and Challenges

Researchers examined multiple agricultural pollutants -- including chemical fertilizers, organophosphorus pesticides, and plastic waste -- in the Yangtze River Basin, finding that intensified cash crop and livestock production is driving water quality degradation and threatening Agriculture Green Development goals.

2023 Frontiers of Agricultural Science and Engineering 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Zoning management for agricultural non-point source pollution: a national-scale perspective in China

This national-scale Chinese study developed a zoning management framework for agricultural non-point source pollution, integrating ecological sensitivity, pollution load, and agricultural structure to propose differentiated management strategies for reducing water contamination from farming.

2025 Water Emerging Contaminants & Nanoplastics
Article Tier 2

Assessing the impact of governance and health expenditures on carbon emissions in China: Role of environmental regulation

Researchers analysed the relationship between governance quality, health expenditures, environmental regulation, and carbon emissions in China from 1984 to 2018, finding an inverted U-shaped environmental Kuznets curve and that stronger environmental regulation helps decouple economic growth from carbon output.

2022 Frontiers in Public Health 7 citations
Article Tier 2

How Does Public Participation in EnvironmentalProtection Affect Air Pollution in China?A Perspective of Local Government Intervention

Researchers used spatial econometric modeling of Chinese panel data from 2003-2017 to find that local government intervention worsens air quality due to inter-regional competition, and that public environmental participation only effectively reduces sulfur dioxide when supported by central government intervention.

2022 Polish Journal of Environmental Studies 11 citations
Article Tier 2

Analysis of the spatio-temporal evolution of sustainable land use in China under the carbon emission trading scheme: A measurement idea based on the DID model

Researchers applied a difference-in-differences estimation model to assess the effect of China's carbon emission trading scheme on sustainable land use across provinces from a spatio-temporal perspective. The scheme improved sustainable land use in pilot areas from both economic and environmental dimensions, with effects concentrated in eastern regions and urban agglomerations including the Pearl River Delta.

2023 PLoS ONE 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Can pro-environmental behavior increase farmers’ income?—Evidence from arable land quality protection practices in China

This study used survey data from 591 farmers in Xinjiang, China to assess whether pro-environmental farming behaviors increase income. Results showed that farmers adopting practices that reduced soil and water pollution generated higher yields and revenues over time. Pro-environmental agricultural practices that limit plastic mulch use and chemical inputs can improve both farm sustainability and farmer livelihoods.

2023 Economic Research-Ekonomska Istraživanja 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Will China’s audit of natural environmental resource promote green sustainable development? Evidence from PSM-DID analysis based on substantial and strategic pollution reduction

This study used a multi-period difference-in-differences model to test whether China's natural resource audit policy promoted green sustainable development, finding that audited regions showed measurable improvements in environmental performance metrics. The results suggest accountability mechanisms can be effective tools for encouraging local green governance.

2022 PLoS ONE 9 citations
Article Tier 2

Early Warning and Joint Regulation of Water Quantity and Quality in the Daqing River Basin

Researchers developed a dynamic water quantity and quality simulation model for the Daqing River Basin in China, finding that reducing ammonia-nitrogen emissions by 38–85% and maintaining minimum base flows could bring the river's water quality up to standard under extreme flood scenarios.

2022 Water 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Revealing the Full Picture of Agricultural Plastic Legacy Pollution: Toward “Zero‐Leakage” Management in Chinese Farmlands

This review examines the legacy of agricultural plastic mulch film pollution in Chinese farmlands, where China consumes approximately 68% of global mulch film production, leading to persistent residue accumulation and microplastic contamination. The authors propose a 'zero-leakage' management framework to address the full spectrum of plastic pollution across different environmental compartments in agricultural settings.

2025 Global Change Biology
Article Tier 2

How to incentivize farmers to adopt and recycle high-standard plastic mulch in China: economic subsidies, government regulations or social norms?

A survey of 635 farmers in Gansu Province, China assessed drivers of high-standard plastic mulch adoption and recycling, finding that economic subsidies were more effective than government mandates or social norms in encouraging environmentally responsible mulch management.

2025 Frontiers in Environmental Science
Article Tier 2

A Comprehensive Analysis of Agricultural Non-Point Source Pollution in China: Current Status, Risk Assessment and Management Strategies

This review analyzes agricultural pollution in China from fertilizers, pesticides, plastic films, livestock, and crop waste, and finds widespread nitrogen, phosphorus, and heavy metal contamination across provinces. Microplastic pollution from agricultural plastic films was assessed as low risk, but heavy metals like arsenic and cadmium pose serious cancer risks to adults and children. The study recommends strategies focused on reducing pollution at the source to protect both farmland and human health.

2024 Sustainability 18 citations
Article Tier 2

The Role of Land Use Transition on Industrial Pollution Reduction in the Context of Innovation-Driven: The Case of 30 Provinces in China

This study analyzed data from 30 Chinese provinces to examine how land use transitions associated with urbanization affect industrial pollution levels, finding that innovation-driven development strategies can decouple economic growth from pollution under certain land use conditions.

2021 Land 19 citations
Article Tier 2

Study on the influence of industrial structure optimization on water environment and economy: A case study of Changzhou city

Researchers used an EE-SBM-DEA model to classify industries in Changzhou city by environmental performance and then simulated industrial restructuring using coupled 0-D and MIKE11 hydrodynamic models, finding that optimising the industrial structure could increase water environment capacity for key pollutants including COD, total nitrogen, and total phosphorus in overloaded canals.

2023 Frontiers in Earth Science 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Research on Watershed Water Pollution Control Technologies and Comprehensive Water Quality Improvement Solutions

This review covers water pollution control technologies and comprehensive strategies for improving watershed water quality in China. Controlling pollution at the watershed scale is essential for reducing microplastic and chemical contaminant loads in rivers and drinking water sources.

2023 Academic Journal of Materials & Chemistry
Article Tier 2

Spatiotemporal Variations of Water Eutrophication and Non-Point Source Pollution Prevention and Control in the Main Stream of the Yellow River in Henan Province from 2012 to 2021

This is not a microplastics study; it tracks water quality and eutrophication in the Yellow River in Henan Province over a decade, finding improvements linked to pollution control policies and identifying agricultural runoff as the dominant non-point source of contamination outside the flood season.

2023 Sustainability 10 citations
Article Tier 2

Basin-Scale Pollution Loads Analyzed Based on Coupled Empirical Models and Numerical Models

This study used a combination of field measurements and computer models to quantify pollutant loads from different sources across a Chinese river basin. Better tools for tracking pollution sources at basin scale can support efforts to reduce microplastic and other contaminant inputs to waterways.

2021 International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 8 citations
Article Tier 2

Water Quality Evaluation, Spatial Distribution Characteristics, and Source Analysis of Pollutants in Wanquan River, China

This paper is not about microplastics — it assesses water quality in a Chinese river basin, finding that agricultural runoff and domestic sewage are the main pollution sources, without examining plastic contamination.

2023 Applied Sciences 10 citations
Article Tier 2

Measurement and temporal and spatial characteristics of agricultural eco-efficiency under climate change: a case study of Anhui, China

Researchers applied super-efficient DEA-SBM analysis to measure agricultural eco-efficiency across Anhui Province, China, quantifying non-point source pollution from livestock breeding and chemical fertilizers. They found that eco-efficiency followed an 'inverted N' trend over time and exhibited spatial agglomeration patterns, with significant north-south regional differences driven by climate change and the 'Matthew effect.'

2023 Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Evolving environmental awareness and shifts in management priorities: a socioeconomic lens on the min river basin, China

Not relevant to microplastics — this paper uses socioeconomic analysis and machine learning to study shifting environmental management priorities in China's Min River basin, focusing on water quality and land use.

2023 Frontiers in Environmental Science 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Evaluation of Sustainable Development of an Agricultural Economy Based on the DPSIR Model

This study applied the DPSIR (Drivers-Pressures-State-Impacts-Responses) model to evaluate the sustainable development of the agricultural economy in China. The analysis identified economic growth pressures and environmental degradation as interconnected challenges. Frameworks like DPSIR help policymakers design responses that address root causes of agricultural pollution, including plastic mulch use.

2022 Journal of Sensors 6 citations