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Topic Review
The Development of Biogas Plants
Agricultural biogas plants have a long history, beginning with early advancements in biogas technology and its application in agricultural contexts. Throughout history, several societies have used organic waste to make biogas, a renewable energy source. However, modern agricultural biogas plants as we know them today have changed greatly as a result of scientific and technological advances.
  • 1.5K
  • 07 Feb 2024
Topic Review
Achieving Environmental Sustainability in Africa
The concept of sustainability requires that the production of goods and services fulfills present demands without jeopardizing the potential to satisfy the needs of future generations. The environment is a finite resource; a healthy environment benefits the ecosystem and all life. Therefore, to sustain the planet, the ecosystem, and all life on it, it is critical that environmental resources be appropriately managed and preserved. Fighting environmental degradation has been a key priority for advanced and emerging countries. Environmental degradation has posed a danger to the economic well-being of the entire world, as it is linked to the success of various macroeconomic factors.
  • 1.5K
  • 27 Jul 2022
Topic Review
Ecosystem Services Potential of Endemic Floras
Natural, sustainable products arise in many fields, wild plants are reconsidered as providers of traditional or innovative applications. The notion of ecosystem services (ES) provides a frame to evaluate their benefits, but is still scarcely applied to endemic floras.
  • 1.5K
  • 31 May 2022
Topic Review
Indoor Air Quality Improvement
Poor indoor air quality is a consequence of air contamination with pollutants whose sources may be natural or anthropogenic. The diversity of air contaminants range from particulate materials (PMs), biological pollutants, and over 400 different organic and inorganic chemical compounds, whose concentrations depend on both internal and external factors. Because people spend most of their time inside, poor indoor air quality causes serious human health issues, resulting in significant economic losses. Nature-based solutions using microalgae systems that mimic the role played by microalgae in the oceans, providing oxygen and biofixing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, may be installed in new and already existing buildings to improve indoor air quality in an energy-conserving manner while providing autonomy to the building. 
  • 1.5K
  • 08 Oct 2021
Topic Review
Distribution of Coastal Cigarette Butts
Litter on beaches is one of the most difficult problems in coastal management and every year, much efforts and public money are invested to try to alleviate and solve the problem. Cigarette butts (CB) are among the most widespread abandoned personal items in the world. In Spain, they are found on all types of beaches, where they are discarded by beach users; however, rivers and streams can also deposit CB on shores.
  • 1.5K
  • 03 Feb 2021
Topic Review
Global Warming and Dairy Cattle
Concerns about greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from livestock and dairy farms, as well as their connection to global warming and climate change, have grown among the general public worldwide in recent years. Enteric methane (CH4) and other greenhouse gas emissions from ruminants can be mitigated in numerous ways.
  • 1.5K
  • 10 Nov 2022
Topic Review
Policies and Responses of Microplastics
Although (micro)plastic contamination is a worldwide concern, most scientific literature only restates that issue rather than presenting strategies to cope with it. The knowledge are assembled on policies and responses to tackle plastic pollution, including peer-reviewed scientific literature, gray literature and relevant reports to provide: (1) a timeline of policies directly or indirectly addressing microplastics; (2) the most up-to-date upstream responses to prevent microplastics pollution, such as circular economy, behavioral change, development of bio-based polymers and market-based instruments as well as source-specific strategies, focusing on the clothing industry, tire and road wear particles, antifouling paints and recreational activities; (3) a set of downstream responses tackling microplastics, such as waste to energy, degradation, water treatment plants and litter clean-up strategies; and examples of (4) multifaceted responses focused on both mitigating and preventing microplastics pollution, e.g., approaches implemented in fisheries and aquaculture facilities.
  • 1.5K
  • 09 Jan 2023
Topic Review
Removal of Pesticides from Waters
Pesticides are pollutants found in wastewater due to increasing agricultural activities over the years. Inappropriate dosing of pesticides results in the dispersal of active ingredients in the environment. The complete removal of pesticides from wastewater is an immediate concern due to their high toxicity and mobility. At present, adsorption is one of the most widely used methods for pesticide removal, in which synthetic zeolites and mesoporous silica materials are extensively applied. This article presents a systematic and comparative review of the applications and comparison of these adsorbents, based on the data reported in the literature.
  • 1.5K
  • 07 Jul 2021
Topic Review
George C. Marshall Institute
The George C. Marshall Institute (GMI) was a nonprofit conservative think tank in the United States. It was established in 1984 with a focus on science and public policy issues and was initially active mostly in the area of defense policy. Since the late 1980s, the Institute put forward environmental skepticism views, and in particular has promoted fringe views regarding the scientific consensus on climate change. The think tank received extensive financial support from oil companies. It closed in 2015, morphing somewhat into the CO2 Coalition.
  • 1.5K
  • 01 Dec 2022
Topic Review
Analytical Techniques for Detection and Quantification of PFAS
The established methods for performing poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) analysis are based on Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS). Both the sample preparation and the development of the chromatographic set-up are crucial steps for reliable, precise, and accurate measurements. According to the literature, the conventional reverse phase separation stationary phase column is the most widely utilized approach. To improve the chromatographic performance, columns equipped with polar functionalized C18 alkyl chains were introduced.
  • 1.5K
  • 21 Jun 2023
Topic Review
The Evolution of Coral Reef under Changing Climate
Coral reefs are vital ecosystems with high biodiversity and ecological services for coastal communities. Climate change is accelerating, with detrimental consequences on coral reefs and related communities. 
  • 1.5K
  • 17 Mar 2023
Topic Review
Nano/Microplastics in Plants
The ubiquitous presence of microplastics (MPs) and nanoplastics (NPs) in the environment is an undeniable and serious concern due to their higher persistence and extensive use in agricultural production.
  • 1.5K
  • 23 Nov 2021
Topic Review
Wastewater Treatment Processes
Wastewater generated from various industrial sectors contains micropollutants, nutrients (nitrogen, sulfur, copper, phosphorus), carbon-based pollutants (antibiotics, aromatic hydrocarbons, biocides, phenolic compounds, and surfactants etc.) and heavy metals (cadmium, chromium, copper, mercury nickel, lead, and zinc) . 
  • 1.5K
  • 19 May 2021
Topic Review
Plastic Pollution
Plastic is a word that initially meant “material that can be easily shaped, formed, molded by providing heat and pressure”. It only recently became a name for a category of materials called synthetic polymers. The polymer means “of many parts” and is a long chain of repeating smaller or larger molecules (monomers) bonded in subunits. Generally, natural polymers and synthetic polymers are used for making plastics. Synthetic polymers differ from natural polymers (such as silk, cellulose, muscle fiber, rubber, hair, and DNA). They are manufactured using raw materials such as oil, coal, and natural gas. There are two other types of plastics that do not fall into the above category of materials (natural or synthetic) and are known as biodegradable plastics and bioplastic materials. Biodegradable plastic is made from petroleum- or biomass-based resources. Bioplastic products are manufactured using biomass-based materials only. Both plastic materials are substitutes for synthetic plastic. 
  • 1.5K
  • 11 Mar 2024
Topic Review
Building Mitigates Urban Heat Island
A consequence of urbanization was the intensification of urban heat islands, especially in tropical cities. There have been rapid developments in infrastructure that have displaced open spaces. 
  • 1.5K
  • 28 Oct 2021
Topic Review
Biochar for Remediation of Polluted Soils
Soil contamination with organic contaminants and various heavy metals has become a global environmental concern. Biochar application for the remediation of polluted soils may render a novel solution to soil contamination issues.
  • 1.5K
  • 06 Apr 2023
Topic Review
Reducing Phosphorus Pollution of Freshwater Fish Farms
Water soluble phosphorus, uneaten feed, feces, and metabolic waste from farmed fish increase phosphorus concentrations in adjacent waters. In open freshwater fish farms, in particular, the effects can be more immediate, as excess phosphorus is introduced directly into ecosystems. Several intestinal enzymes, transporters, and regulating factors have been implicated in farmed fish dietary phosphorus retention. To reduce phosphorus pollution from open flow fish farms, a thorough understanding of the processes that affect nutrient retention and absorption, as well as the impact of dietary factors, anti-nutritional substances, and intestinal morphology, is required. 
  • 1.5K
  • 22 Nov 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.
  • 1.5K
  • 20 Aug 2020
Topic Review
Air Quality in Mainland Southeast Asia
Air pollution, notably particulate matter pollution, has become a serious concern in Southeast Asia. The combustion of biomass has been recognized to considerably increase air pollution problems from particulate matter in this region. Consequently, its effect on people in this area is significant. 
  • 1.5K
  • 28 Jun 2023
Topic Review
Phosphorus Recovery from Sewage Sludge Ash
Phosphorus is an essential and limited element that cannot be replaced by any other. Phosphorus deposits in the world are rapidly depleting, so methods of recovering phosphorus from alternative sources and using it as a fertilizer in agriculture are becoming increasingly popular. Struvite from sewage sludge ash contains phosphorus, and also a significant amount of nitrogen and magnesium. It is considered an effective slow-release fertilizer that can be successfully applied to agricultural, vegetable, and ornamental crops. The slower leaching of nutrients and high fertilizer quality, and high phosphorus content can make struvite an environmentally friendly fertilizer. However, its production is not yet sustainable. The cradle-to-cradle (C2C) concept has made it possible to highlight the so-called critical points in the production of such fertilizer. Limitations are environmental  (concerns about heavy metals content in sewage sludge ash), legal (standard testing, product certification, quality control), economic (cost of energy, supply-chain), legal aspects (still not implemented as a mineral fertilizer under general EU regulations) and looses during P fertilizer production. 
  • 1.5K
  • 18 Apr 2022
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