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Topic Review
Soil Biology in the Ecuadorian Amazon
For many decades the Ecuadorian Amazon has been used as source of resources for cities both at national and international level. These facts had important consequences and environmental impacts, affecting from the smallest living organisms of the soil to the indigenous communities and peoples that inhabit the Amazon rainforest, as well as the flora and fauna biodiversity. With the change in land use, the Amazonian territory has been progressively affected and it is gradually decreasing, leaving behind poor soils.  Production conditions result modified by the implementation of large monocultures and livestock systems, a situation that directly affects soil and soil fauna. For this reason, we considered interesting to study, understand and compare the behavior of building organisms in natural and intervened areas, through sampling, inventories and laboratory analysis with the aim of developing and implementing production systems (chakras, agroforestry or silvopastoral systems), which benefit both the small producer and the ecosystem and life that inhabits it. Since there are no easily available compiled papers regarding the "Soil Biology in the Ecuadorian Amazon" in this work we collect information that allows us to offer a framework on the topics of changes in land use, typology of Amazonian soils and its main inhabitats organisms. All these date let to be considered as evidences of the degree of the health/disturbance of the corresponding soils.
  • 986
  • 28 Oct 2020
Topic Review
Atmospheric Carbon Cycle
The atmosphere is one of the Earth's major carbon reservoirs and an important component of the global carbon cycle, holding approximately 720 gigatons of carbon. Atmospheric carbon plays an important role in the greenhouse effect. The most important carbon compound in this respect is the gas carbon dioxide (CO2). Although it is a small percentage of the atmosphere (approximately 0.04% on a molar basis), it plays a vital role in retaining heat in the atmosphere and thus in the greenhouse effect. Other gases with effects on the climate containing carbon in the atmosphere are methane and chlorofluorocarbons (the latter is entirely anthropogenic). Emissions by humans in the past 200 years have almost doubled the amount carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
  • 986
  • 17 Oct 2022
Topic Review
Sustainable Manufacturing Practices
Sustainable manufacturing was defined as "the creation of manufactured products that use processes that minimize negative environmental impacts, conserve energy and natural resources, are safe for employees, communities, and consumers and are economically sound".
  • 985
  • 12 Sep 2021
Topic Review
Phenol Removals
Phenol acts as a pollutant even at very low concentrations in water. It is classified as one of the main priority pollutants that need to be treated before being discharged into the environment. If phenolic-based compounds are discharged into the environment without any treatments, they pose serious health risks to humans, animals, and aquatic systems.
  • 981
  • 27 Aug 2021
Topic Review
Goat Breeding for Xerophytic Thickets Management in Madagascar
Spiny thickets or xerophytic thickets (XTs) are a type of shrubby vegetation found in the far south and southwest of Madagascar, the driest parts of the island. This type of vegetation, which is rich in endemic animal and plant species, is endangered. Extensive local goat breeding (Capra hircus, for meat and milk production) based on XT browsing is an important source of household income. Improved goat breeding is an alternative to wood charcoal (WC) production and slash-and-burn agriculture (SBA), which are unsustainable activities.
  • 980
  • 16 Mar 2022
Topic Review
Solar Desalination
Desalination is a capital-intensive process that requires a significant amount of energy, and since it is now mostly powered by fossil fuels across the globe, it has the potential to leave a significant carbon footprint. 
  • 980
  • 18 Nov 2022
Topic Review
NASA Micropulse Lidar Rain Algorithm
Precipitation modifies atmospheric column thermodynamics through the process of evaporation and serves as a proxy for latent heat modulation. For this reason, a correct precipitation parameterization (especially for low-intensity precipitation) within global scale models is crucial. In addition to improving our modeling of the hydrological cycle, this will reduce the associated uncertainty of global climate models in correctly forecasting future scenarios, and will enable the application of mitigation strategies. In this study we present a proof of concept algorithm to automatically detect precipitation from lidar measurements obtained from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Micropulse lidar network (MPLNET). 
  • 978
  • 09 Feb 2021
Topic Review
Water Stress and Water Footprint
Physical water stress and scarcity are often used interchangeably, or the exact nature of the underlying data is not clearly defined or justified (e.g., water use versus consumption versus withdrawal). A number of authors have noted that there is no widely accepted definition for physical water stress and scarcity.   Comparing different definitions of water stress and scarcity, they seem to be converging on the definition given by the CEO Water Mandate (A NGO affiliated with the United Nations), who defines water scarcity as lack of physical abundance of freshwater resources without considering whether water is suitable for use, and water stress as lack of ability to meet human and ecological demand for freshwater, in terms of water quantity and quality and accessibility to water.
  • 976
  • 01 Feb 2022
Topic Review
Polymeric Biodiesel
Biodiesel industry is expanding rapidly in accordance with the high energy demand and environmental deterioration related to the combustion of fossil fuel. However, poor physicochemical properties and the malperformance of biodiesel fuel still concern the researchers. In this flow, polymers were introduced in biodiesel industry to overcome such drawbacks. This article introduces polymeric biodiesel which is Hydroxyalkanoates methyl ester (HAME) and hydroxybutyrate methyl ester (HBME) that are sourced from carbon-enriched polymers with the help of microbial activity. Composition, production techniques, characteristics, and limitations of polymeric biodiese were explored. 
  • 970
  • 21 Oct 2022
Topic Review
Biobeds
Biobeds are biological systems used to treat liquid residues derived from the operations related to the application of pesticides in crop fields. Their use helps minimize pesticide delivery into the environment, as well as protecting soil and water from pollution. Biobeds were first described as trenches packed with a mixture of 50% wheat straw, 25% soil, and 25% peat, covered with a grass layer; this composition is known as a “biomixture”. In biobeds, the biomixture absorbs the pesticide residues and supports the development of different microorganisms, such as bacteria and fungi, needed for pesticide degradation in the system. The effectiveness of biobed systems lies in the high pesticide retention in the biomixture and the degradation potential of the microorganisms growing in the system.
  • 970
  • 07 Jul 2023
Topic Review
Wastewater Based Epidemiology
Wastewater-Based epidemiology (WBE) is spreading of any disease or disorder caused by the chemicals or pathogens that come from waste materials such as urine, fecal materials, medical waste  or any solid or liquid waste product. The extraction, detection, analysis, and interpretation of chemical/biological compounds (biomarkers) excreted in the sewage system can eventually contribute to WBE. So wastewater analysis could be equivalent to community-based urine and fecal analysis that can subsequently give a reflection  of community health. Under pandemic situation with time limitations and restrict access to massive diagnostic, an alternative approach as a complementary tool to investigate virus circulation in the community is essential. In the situation of limited and time-consuming diagnostic tests, monitoring sewage systems could better estimate the spread of the virus and determine whether there are potential cases because wastewater surveillance can also account for those who contract mild or asymptomatic state.
  • 964
  • 06 Sep 2021
Topic Review
Impact of Carbamate Pesticides on Male Reproductive System
Carbamates are widely used and known around the world as pesticides in spite of also having medical applications. Carbamates are mostly used as pesticides worldwide, despite their interesting medical applications, such as in the treatment of myasthenia gravis, Alzheimer’s disease, or glaucoma, among others.
  • 964
  • 10 Aug 2022
Topic Review
Major Impacts of Potentially Toxic Elements
Environmental contamination with a myriad of potentially toxic elements (PTEs) is triggered by various natural and anthropogenic activities. However, the industrial revolution has increased the intensity of these hazardous elements and their concentration in the environment, which, in turn, could provoke potential ecological risks. Additionally, most PTEs pose a considerable nuisance to human beings and affect soil, aquatic organisms, and even nematodes and microbes. 
  • 964
  • 13 Feb 2023
Topic Review
Sensitive Clay Slope
Sensitive clays are known for producing retrogressive landslides, also called spread or flowslides. The key characteristics associated with the occurrence of these landslides on a sensitive clay slope must be assessed, and the potential retrogressive distance must be evaluated. Common risk analysis methods include empirical methods for estimating the distance of potential retrogression, analytical limit equilibrium methods, numerical modelling methods using the strength reduction technique, and the integration of a progressive failure mechanism into numerical methods. Methods developed for zoning purposes in Norway and Quebec provide conservative results in most cases, even if they don’t cover the worst cases scenario. A flowslide can be partially analysed using analytical limit equilibrium methods and numerical methods having strength reduction factor tools. Numerical modelling of progressive failure mechanisms using numerical methods can define the critical parameters of spread-type landslides, such as critical unloading and the retrogression distance of the failure. Continuous improvements to the large-deformation numerical modeling approach allow its application to all types of sensitive clay landslides.
  • 964
  • 20 Aug 2020
Topic Review
State of Fear
State of Fear is a 2004 techno-thriller novel by Michael Crichton, in which eco-terrorists plot mass murder to publicize the danger of global warming. Despite being a work of fiction, the book contains many graphs and footnotes, two appendices, and a 20-page bibliography in support of Crichton's beliefs about global warming. Many climate scientists, science journalists, environmental groups, and science advocacy organisations dispute Crichton's views on the science as being error-filled and distorted. The novel had an initial print run of 1.5 million copies and reached the #1 bestseller position at Amazon and #2 on The New York Times Best Seller list for one week in January 2005. The novel itself has garnered mixed reviews, with some literary reviewers stating that the book's presentation of facts and stance on the global warming debate detracted from the book's plot.
  • 963
  • 19 Oct 2022
Topic Review
Urban Ecosystem Models
Urban ecosystem services provide many benefits for human beings. Given the dramatic increase of urbanization, maintaining sustainability of cities relies heavily on ecosystem services, and it is crucial for quantifying, managing, and optimizing urban ecosystem services to promote social and ecological sustainable development. 
  • 962
  • 22 Apr 2022
Topic Review
E-Waste in Africa
Waste electronic and electrical equipment (e-waste) consists of used and discarded electrical and electronic items ranging from refrigerators to cell phones and printed circuit boards.
  • 960
  • 05 Sep 2021
Topic Review
Overview of Extracellular Polymeric Substances
Extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) are complex extracellular polymers with high molecular weight, which are metabolic products of microorganisms and result from effluent organic matter and microbial lysis or hydrolysis. EPS were proved to have the ability to absorb and biodegrade certain substances. The main components in EPS were found to influence the properties of microbial floccules, such as transfer, surface hydrophilicity/hydrophobicity, and aggregate stability. 
  • 960
  • 17 Oct 2022
Topic Review
Orbital Effects on Climate
There are various solar/celestial effects that exist which have an effect on Earth's climate. These effects usually occur in cycles, and primarily include how Earth's obliquity, the eccentricity of Earth's orbit, and the precession of the equinoxes and solstices affect Earth's climate. In addition to these effects, there are also other factors that have an effect on Earth's climate. These other factors include how sun activity affects climate and how celestial phenomena, such as meteors, affect Earth's climate. Some of these factors aren't yet well understood, for instance the ice ages occur on 100,000 year cycles, and it's not completely understood why the various effects with this periodicity have such a strong effect on glaciation (see the 100,000-year problem).
  • 960
  • 24 Nov 2022
Topic Review
Vetiver Grass (Chrysopogon zizanoides L.) in Phytoremediation
The increase of the global population and the requirement of food production and agricultural development, combined with a lack of water resources, have led to human attention being drawn to unconventional water sources, including saline water and wastewater. Most unconventional water treatment methods are not cost-effective; however, researchers have become interested in the phytoremediation method due to its cost-efficient and eco-friendly removal of many pollutants. Research showed that due to its unique characteristics, vetiver grass can be useful in phytoremediation. 
  • 960
  • 02 Mar 2023
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