Subject:
All Disciplines Arts & Humanities Biology & Life Sciences Business & Economics Chemistry & Materials Science Computer Science & Mathematics Engineering Environmental & Earth Sciences Medicine & Pharmacology Physical Sciences Public Health & Healthcare Social Sciences
Sort:
Most Viewed Latest Alphabetical (A-Z) Alphabetical (Z-A)
Filter:
All Topic Review Biography Peer Reviewed Entry Video Entry
Topic Review
Per- and Poly-Fluoroalkyl Substances’ Pollution
Per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) refer to a class of compounds in which all or part of the hydrogen atoms linked to carbon atoms in alkane molecules are replaced by fluorine atoms. Because of the strong polarity of the C-F bond, PFASs have more stable and more excellent properties than other hydrocarbons (such as a remarkably high chemical stability and excellent hydrophobicity and oleophobicity), so they have been used in various fields of production, such as plastic wrap, paper, coatings, poly-tetrafluoroethylene products and foam fire-extinguishing agents.
  • 501
  • 16 Mar 2022
Topic Review
Recent Trends in Foliar Nanofertilizers
It is estimated that 40 to 70 per cent, 80 to 90 per cent and 50 to 90 per cent of the conventional macronutrients N, P and K applied to soil are lost, respectively, resulting in considerable resource losses. Compared with traditional fertilizers, nano fertilizers have small volume (1-100 nm) and high specific surface area, and have the advantages of controlled release, high nutrient utilization, low cost and relatively small environmental pollution. The application of nanofertilizers is an emerging area of agricultural research and is an attractive and economical alternative to traditional fertilizers that could sustainably increase global food productivity. Foliar fertilization is a popular method to meet the needs of higher plants. Due to the small amount of leaf application, nutrient absorption is faster than the soil, and environmental pollution is relatively small, so it is more popular in plants. It can be seen that nano-fertilizer and foliar fertilization are the focus of attention at present, and the study on the foliar application of nano-fertilizer is not as extensive as that of soil application.
  • 501
  • 12 Dec 2023
Topic Review
Ecological Compensation and Ecosystem Function Offsets
Ecological compensation, which is widely applied, is presumed to be an important mechanism to address environmental degradation that commonly occurs due to activities related to development projects and resource use. In comparison to carbon offsets, the implementation of biodiversity offsets are more challenging due to difficulties in biodiversity measurement, determining ecological equivalence, the relatively longer time taken, the higher level of uncertainty, the uniqueness of ecosystems, and the irreversibility of species loss. Generally, there is a positive relationship between biodiversity and carbon stocks; however, there are also cases where there are no clear or even negative relationships between biodiversity and carbon stocks. Ecosystem functions are directly or indirectly affected by environmental degradation, and ecological compensation measures usually compensate for only a few components of the ecosystem functions.
  • 501
  • 14 Aug 2023
Topic Review
Groundwater Pollution by Nitrates
Groundwater pollution by nitrates from agricultural sources is a common environmental issue. Surpluses from nitrogen fertilization are leached and they reach groundwater.
  • 500
  • 10 Jun 2021
Topic Review
Traffic-Related PM Accumulation by Vegetation of Urban Forests
In terms of the process of air purification, a lot of attention has been devoted to trees and shrubs. Little attention has been paid to herbaceous vegetation from the lower forest layers. Urban forests are often located on the outskirts of cities and surround exit roads where there is heavy traffic, generating particulate matter (PM) pollution. 
  • 499
  • 14 Mar 2022
Topic Review
Endocrine-Disrupting Effects of Disinfection Byproducts
Since 1974, more than 800 disinfection byproducts (DBPs) have been identified from disinfected drinking water, swimming pool water, wastewaters, etc. Some DBPs are recognized as contaminants of high environmental concern because they may induce many detrimental health (e.g., cancer, cytotoxicity, and genotoxicity) and/or ecological (e.g., acute toxicity and development toxicity on alga, crustacean, and fish) effects. However, the information on whether DBPs may elicit potential endocrine-disrupting effects in human and wildlife is scarce.
  • 499
  • 12 Jul 2022
Topic Review
Radon Risk Perception, Awareness and Knowledge
Radon is a natural radioactive gas that is present in buildings and is the second cause of lung cancer after smoking. Risk perception has been studied from multiple perspectives, including social studies, anthropology, and medical disciplines, with psychology playing a primary role. Two main dimensions are involved in risk perception: a cognitive dimension, related to knowledge and understanding of risk, and an emotional dimension, which includes feelings; both are components of the reaction to risks, representations of immediate and/or future consequences and their implications, and how people decide how to behave accordingly. Perceived risk is therefore quantifiable and predictable: the psychometric paradigm has helped to clarify how certain elements and characteristics are specifically influential in people’s perception of the dangerousness of an activity, such as controllability, voluntariness, threat to future generations, and responsibility. The research for the implementation of evidence-based radon communication programs is progressing rapidly. Many countries have issued regulations or recommendations to ensure that radon concentration levels do not exceed certain threshold values. Following the results of numerous epidemiological studies conducted two decades earlier, in 2009 the World Health Organization proposed a reference level of 100 Bq m−3 to minimize health risks from indoor radon, adding that if this level could not be achieved due to country-specific conditions, the chosen reference level should not exceed 300 Bq m−3. According to the 2013 Euratom Directive, radon is an indoor pollutant monitored in workplaces and homes, with established limits and exposure control obligations but exposure continues to be very high in some situations.
  • 499
  • 31 Aug 2022
Topic Review
Morphological Effects of Sodium Salinity on Rice
Sodium salinity negatively affects and reduces yields in international agricultural systems. This stress decreases crop growth and development, causing tissue death, flowering abortion, and senescence of the fertilized embryo, and negatively affects enzymatic activity, protein synthesis, among other processes. Rice is a cereal of great international demand for its nutritional properties and its productivity is affected by the presence of salts in agricultural surfaces. The main factors that trigger the decrease in growth under salt stress are adverse changes in morphological structures, which undergo physiological changes due to salinity.
  • 499
  • 13 Feb 2023
Topic Review
Risks of Microplastics and Nanoplastics in Agricultural Ecosystems
In all the agroecosystems, the transformation, migration, and transferring of MNPs, along with other contaminants, and the trophic transfer of MNPs can threaten the food web. MPs can exhibit negative and positive effects, or none, on the physical/chemical properties of soil, soil microbiota, invertebrates, and plant systems, depending on the polymer compositions, additives, and exposure time. Difficulties in comparing the studies on the effects of MNPs, as well as the discrepancies among them, are mostly due to variations in the methods followed for sampling, detection, quantification, and the categorization of particles, abundance, and exposure time. Since agricultural soils are important environmental reservoirs for diverse chemicals and contaminants, they provide milieus for several types of interactions of MNPs with soil biota. 
  • 499
  • 27 Mar 2023
Topic Review
Renewable Power and Heat for the Decarbonisation
Renewable energy (RE) solutions have been classified into technologies based on the use of renewable electricity and those used to produce heat for multiple industrial processes. Electrification will be key thanks to the gradual decrease in renewable power prices and the conversion of natural-gas-dependent processes. Industrial processes that are not eligible for electrification will still need a form of renewable heat. Among them, the following have been identified: concentrating solar power, heat pumps, and geothermal energy. These can supply a broad range of needed temperatures. Biomass will be a key element not only in the decarbonisation of conventional combustion systems but also as a biofuel feedstock. Biomethane and green hydrogen are considered essential. Biomethane can allow a straightforward transition from fossil-based natural gas to renewable gas. Green hydrogen production technologies will be required to increase their maturity and availability in Europe (EU). Energy Intensive Industries (EIIs)’ decarbonisation will occur through the progressive use of an energy mix that allows EU industrial sectors to remain competitive on a global scale. Each industrial sector will require specific renewable energy solutions, especially the top greenhouse gas-emitting industries. 
  • 496
  • 17 Jan 2023
Topic Review
Climate Change Impacts Beach Microbiota
Global climate change is affecting beach microbial contamination, via changes to conditions like water temperature, sea level, precipitation, and waves. In addition, the world is changing, and humans travel and relocate, often carrying endemic allochthonous microbiota. 
  • 495
  • 10 Feb 2022
Topic Review
Genetic Markers for Metabarcoding of Freshwater Microalgae
The metabarcoding approach is widely used for studying the diversity and distribution of freshwater microalgae and for routine biomonitoring. Due to microalgae being a phylogenetically diverse group, the choice of a genetic marker directly affects the metabarcoding results. Specific markers are good for identifying only concrete groups, while universal markers may miss classes or lack the variability necessary for differentiating taxa at the species and sometimes genus levels. An analysis of publications on the subject showed that metabarcoding studies of eukaryotic freshwater microalgae used 12 markers (different nuclear regions 18S and ITS and plastid regions rbcL, 23S and 16S). Studies that compared outcomes from different markers show that the resulting lists of taxa do not match. The plastid marker rbcL is widely used for diatom metabarcoding, as it differentiates taxa at the species and intraspecies levels, and there is a specific set of primers designed for identifying Eustigmatophyceae. The V9 18S region is more variable than V4 18S and provides more diversity at higher taxonomic levels (supergroup and phylum). The ITS1 and ITS2 regions are used rarely and may be underestimated. These barcodes amplify well with the standard primers and are variable enough to identify sequences at the species level. Plastid markers (23S and 16S rDNA) focused on the plastid-containing eukaryotic algae and Cyanobacteria, conserved regions, identify taxa to the genus level and higher. Using specialized curated databases for data interpretation significantly improves the quality of the results.
  • 494
  • 31 Jul 2023
Topic Review
Tailing Covering Technology for Oxidation Prevention
Water and oxygen are the main reactants to produce Acid mine drainage (AMD), and the inhibition methods should consider controlling the availability of one or two components. Therefore, two strategies are adopted: (i) preventing oxygen from entering the tailings pile and thus reducing the rate of sulfide oxidation; and (ii) isolating the infiltration of external water and thus weakening the role of dissolved oxygen. According to different coverage principles, tailing cover systems can be divided into dry covers, wet covers, and organic covers.
  • 493
  • 31 Jan 2023
Topic Review
Efficient Approximate Analytics of Georeferenced Big Data
The unprecedented availability of sensor networks and GPS-enabled devices has caused the accumulation of voluminous georeferenced data streams. These data streams offer an opportunity to derive valuable insights and facilitate decision making for urban planning.
  • 493
  • 02 Nov 2023
Topic Review
Rare Earth Elements (REE)
The rare earth elements (REE) comprise a group of 16 chemically very similar elements that occur widespread in rocks, soils, and water bodies, share similar ionic radii to the essential element Ca2+, and consequently also occur in biota. Given that REE form mainly trivalent cations, they also share similarities to Al3+. Compared to their chemical cognate Ca, they have a higher reactivity. Thus, their accumulation in soils may constitute a severe environmental threat. Over the last decades, the increasing use of REE in modern technology and fertilizers raised concerns about the pollution of soils and water bodies, which led to a rapidly increasing number of publications dealing with REE toxicity to plants, animals and humans, the fate of REE in soil–plant systems, REE cycling in ecosystems and impacts of REE pollution on food security.
  • 490
  • 05 Feb 2024
Topic Review
Radionuclides in Mosses
The science of the mosses, bryology, knows three main categories of mosses according to constitution and habit. Hornworts (anthocerotophyta), liverworts and bryophytes. The latter are most common. Mosses are non-vascular plants. They adsorb water and nutrients mainly through their leaves. They have a rhizoid only for fixation on the substrate. A water conducting function of the rhizoid is not known. Mosses are suitable as bio-indicator plants. They can take up contaminants and radionuclides directly from the air. Compared to other plants they dispose of a higher surface area. Therefore, there is an ability for accumulation effects. Further, mosses dispose of an active metabolism also in winter. The monitoring of mosses and lichens is well described in literature. Focus in the papers about mosses is on heavy metals, nutrients and air contaminants. Only few papers deal with radio contaminants. 
  • 488
  • 09 Jul 2021
Topic Review
Water Footprint of Forest and Orchard Trees
The measurement of water consumption by trees is fundamental for detecting potential opportunities to mitigate water resource depletion. The water footprint (WF) is a tool to address the environmental effects related to water use, identifying ways to reduce overall water consumption.
  • 488
  • 19 Sep 2022
Topic Review
Diazotrophs Makes Corals More Resistant to Heat Stress
During bleaching, corals expel millions of their symbionts, depriving the host from its main food source. One mechanism used by corals to resist bleaching consists in exploiting food sources other than autotrophy. Among the food sources available in the reefs, dinitrogen (N2)-fixing prokaryotes or planktonic diazotrophs (hereafter called ‘PD’) have the particularity to reduce atmospheric dinitrogen (N2) and release part of this nitrogen (diazotroph-derived nitrogen or DDN) in bioavailable form. The supply of PD allowed corals to maintain minimal chlorophyll concentration and symbiont density, sustaining photosynthetic efficiency and stimulating coral growth of up to 48% compared to unfed ones. By providing an alternative source of bioavailable nitrogen and carbon, this specific planktonic diazotroph feeding may have a profound potential for coral bleaching recovery. 
  • 487
  • 21 Apr 2022
Topic Review
CO2 Emissions in Asia–Pacific Region
Global warming has become the main concern in the current world; increased CO2 emissions are believed to be the main reason for this climate change. Therefore, the impacts of energy consumption, economic growth, financial development, and international trade on the CO2 emissions of 17 Asia–Pacific countries. Using unbalanced panel data for 61 years (1960–2020), the Driscoll and Kraay’s standard error and panel-corrected standard error (PCSE) models are employed to observe the effect of the studied variables on the CO2 emissions.
  • 486
  • 12 May 2022
Topic Review
Diesel Engines with Microalgae Oil
Microalgae oil is more or less equally sensitive to key engine parameters, compared with diesel fuel, and can be successfully adopted to the entire families of industrial diesel engines.
  • 485
  • 28 Jun 2021
  • Page
  • of
  • 50
Featured Entry Collections
>>

Featured Books

>>
Encyclopedia of Social Sciences
Encyclopedia of COVID-19
Encyclopedia of Fungi
Encyclopedia of Digital Society, Industry 5.0 and Smart City
ScholarVision Creations
Feedback