As the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) deadline approaches, UN member states have established a new, universal set of goals, i.e., Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), to develop a global vision for sustainable development, balancing economic growth, social development, and environmental protection over the next fifteen years. There is a need to give specific attention, dependent on the capacities of nations and other national circumstances, to the different goals and targets. Focused guidelines and priorities are essential requirements for the achievement of the SDGs. The five priorities for the SDGs proposed by Lu et al. (2015) are of great significance to the participating communities, as they present the right directions for the proper functioning of the Sustainable Development Goals. There will be significant challenges for developing countries to put the five priorities into practice, depending on their policies and other national settings. This article addresses the major challenges that may be faced by developing nations when implementing the SDGs.
Perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) can be released to water bodies during manufacturing and application of PFAA-containing products. In this study, the contamination pattern, attenuation dynamics, sources, pathways, and risk zoning of PFAAs in surface and ground water was examined within a 10 km radius from a mega-fluorochemical industrial park (FIP). Among 12 detected PFAAs, perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) dominated, followed by shorter-chained perfluoroalkyl carboxylic acids (PFCAs). PFAA-containing waste was discharged from the FIP, with levels reaching 1.86 mg/L in the nearby rivers flowing to the Bohai sea together with up to 273 μg/L in the local groundwater in the catchment. These levels constitute a human health risks for PFOA and other shorter-chained PFCAs within this location. The concentrations of ∑PFAAs in surface water strongly correlated with the local groundwater. The dominant pollution pathways of PFAAs included (i) discharge into surface water then to groundwater through seepage, and (ii) atmospheric deposition from the FIP, followed by infiltration to groundwater. As the distance increased from the source, PFAAs levels in groundwater showed a sharp initial decrease followed by a gentle decline. The contamination signal from the FIP site on PFAAs in groundwater existed within a radius of 4 km, and at least 3 km from the polluted Dongzhulong River. The major controlling factor in PFAA attenuation processes was likely to be dilution together with dispersion and adsorption to aquifer solids. The relative abundance of PFOA (C8) declined while those of shorter-chained PFCAs (C4-C6) increased during surface water seepage and further dispersion in groundwater.
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