You're using an outdated browser. Please upgrade to a modern browser for the best experience.
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 by:
Most Viewed Latest Alphabetical (A-Z) Alphabetical (Z-A)
Filter:
All Topic Review Biography Peer Reviewed Entry Video Entry
Topic Review
Aquatic Mosses as Adaptable Bio-Filters
Heavy metals (HMs) are released into the environment by many human activities and persist in water even after remediation. The efficient filtration of solubilized HMs is extremely difficult. Phytoremediation appears a convenient tool to remove HMs from polluted water, but it is limited by the choice of plants able to adapt to filtration of polluted water in terms of space and physiological needs. Biomasses are often preferred. Aquatic moss biomasses, thanks to gametophyte characteristics, can act as live filtering material. The potential for phytoremediation of Hypnales aquatic mosses has been poorly investigated compared to aquatic macrophytes. Their potential is usually indicated as a tool for bioindication and environmental monitoring more than for pollutant removal. When phytoremediation has been considered, insufficient attention has been paid to the adaptability of biomasses to different needs. In this study the heavy metal uptake of moss Taxiphyllum barbieri grown in two different light conditions, was tested with high concentrations of elements such as Pb, Cd, Zn, Cu, As, and Cr. This moss produces dense mats with few culture needs. The experimental design confirmed the capacity of the moss to accumulate HMs accordingly to their physiology and then demonstrated that a significant proportion of HMs was accumulated within a few hours. In addition to the biosorption effect, an evident contribution of the active simplastic mass can be evidenced. These reports of HM accumulation within short time intervals, show how this moss is particularly suitable as an adaptable bio-filter, representing a new opportunity for water eco-sustainable remediation.
  • 1.9K
  • 31 May 2021
Topic Review
EU Road Transport Carbon Emissions
To accomplish the 1.5 °C and 2 °C climate change targets, the European Union (EU) has set up several policy initiatives. Within the EU, the carbon emissions of the road transport sector from the consumption of diesel and gasoline are constantly rising. (1) Background: due to road transport policies, diesel and gasoline use within the EU is increasing the amount of carbon in the atmosphere and adding to climate risks. (2) Methods: sustainability analysis used was based on the method recommended by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. (3) Results: to meet its road transport requirements, the EU produces an estimated 0.237–0.245 billion tonnes of carbon per year from its total consumption of diesel and gasoline. (4) Conclusion: if there is no significant reduction in diesel and gasoline carbon emissions, there is a real risk that the EU’s carbon budget commitment could lapse and that climate change targets will not be met. Sustainability analysis of energy consumption in road transport sector shows the optimum solution is the direct electrification of road transport. 
  • 1.9K
  • 20 Aug 2021
Topic Review
SDHI Fungicide Toxicity and Associated Adverse Outcome Pathways
Succinate dehydrogenase inhibitor (SDHI) fungicides are increasingly used in agriculture to combat molds and fungi, two major threats to both food supply and public health. However, the essential requirement for the succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) complex—the molecular target of SDHIs—in energy metabolism for almost all extant eukaryotes and the lack of species specificity of these fungicides raise concerns about their toxicity toward off-target organisms and, more generally, toward the environment.
  • 1.9K
  • 04 Dec 2021
Topic Review
Environmental Management Strategies in Mining Industry in Chile
Sustainable development in the mining industry is a critical concern for companies because it covers multiple environmental, social, and economic approaches. The principal aim of sustainable development is to find the equilibrium between environmental, social, and economic aspects to maintain the system’s stability. In this sense, defining mining sustainability is a complex task because of the multidimensional definition of sustainability. However, the primary concern of the environmental sustainability of the mining industry is to avoid and reduce environmental impact at different stages of the mining life cycle, where the mining industry needs to anticipate possible negative effects that its operations may generate. The mining industry faces diverse challenges to maintain sustainable production, particularly regarding critical water and energy supplies. As a significant player in the copper mining industry, Chile has become a global reference. The most prevailing strategies involved implementing Environmental Management Systems, which allow organisations to define, implement, and track their specific goals and standards.
  • 1.9K
  • 28 Apr 2022
Topic Review
Carbon Dioxide Fixation by Phytoplankton
Marine phytoplankton account for more than half of the carbon dioxide fixation of Earth. The export of carbon is highest at the photic zone of the ocean, which is dominated by phytoplankton. Plankton can also be zooplanktons that feed on phytoplankton and release fecal pellets that are made of dissolved carbon particles. The growth of the phytoplankton mainly depends upon three factors, i.e., nutrients, sunlight, and carbon dioxide. Phytoplankton-like plants have chlorophyll that fixes carbon dioxide to glucose using the Rubisco enzyme.
  • 1.9K
  • 06 Apr 2022
Topic Review
Trends in Biological Valorization of Waste-Derived Biomass
The looming climate and energy crises, exacerbated by increased waste generation, are driving research and development of sustainable resource management systems. Research suggests that organic materials, such as food waste, grass, and manure, have potential for biotransformation into a range of products, including: high-value volatile fatty acids (VFAs); various carboxylic acids; bioenergy; and bioplastics. Valorizing these organic residues would additionally reduce the increasing burden on waste management systems.
  • 1.8K
  • 26 Sep 2022
Topic Review
Olive Oil Industry and Related Waste Management
The production of olive oil involves the sustainable management of the waste produced along the entire production chain. This entry examines the developments regarding cultivation techniques, production technologies, and waste management, highlighting the goals to be achieved and the most reasonable prospects. 
  • 1.8K
  • 19 Jan 2022
Topic Review
Medium-Chain-Length Polyhydroxyalkanoates Production
Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) are a type of biopolymer developed as intracellular carbon/energy storage materials which have a wide range of material characteristics. PHAs are identified as granular inclusion bodies after extraction from cells, these are becoming popular as prospective replacements for traditional plastics in various applications, including food packaging industries, cultivational fields, scaffold preparation, and biomaterial implants.
  • 1.8K
  • 27 May 2022
Topic Review
Sustainable Supply Chain Initiatives
The supply chain initiatives can be described as a set of activities performed by the firms for smooth functioning of the holistic supply chain system with the socio-economic and environmental needs in a long term period. The traditional supply chain management (SCM) practices replaced in favor of the sustainable supply chain management (SSCM) initiatives in most of the Asian industries. Nowadays, the adoption of sustainable supply chain initiatives (SSCIs) is critical for the organization to mitigate risk, handle complexities, and business dynamics of the global outsourcing. For managing supply chains smoothly, it is the very important for industries to integrate supply chains through networks designed for achieving higher business volume. This synergistic linking of sustainable supply chain practices moves the organization towards the building of the competitive edge in the global market.
  • 1.8K
  • 09 Jul 2021
Topic Review
Possibilities for Blockchain-Enabled Guarantees of Origin
Guarantees of Origin (GOs) are widely used as insurances for the renewability of electricity supplies and proofs of compliance to renewable standards; however, they suffer from structural problems. Their transactional history cannot distinguish between those traded among market actors and the ones that come directly from power plants, giving rise to transparency issues. Certificate trading dissuades producers from investing in an increase in renewable capacity resulting in lack of additionality while complex frameworks and administrative structures emerge to keep track of the vast network of GOs. These issues can be resolved through the introduction of blockchain networks which can provide transparency and help incentivise renewable investment while increasing automation and process simplification.
  • 1.8K
  • 17 Jan 2023
Topic Review
Technical and Economic Viability of Underground Hydrogen Storage
The concept of underground hydrogen storage (UHS) is less known than its natural gas counterpart, which is expected due to its less significant role in the past. Despite this, the insights gained with natural gas can be applied to hydrogen storage due to the shared cavern design and operation.
  • 1.8K
  • 11 Dec 2023
Topic Review
Carbon Mineralization Technologies
Carbon dioxide is a byproduct of the industrial society. It is released into the atmosphere, which has an adverse effect on the environment. Carbon dioxide management is necessary to limit the global average temperature increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius and mitigate the effects of climate change, as outlined in the Paris Agreement. 
  • 1.8K
  • 29 Jun 2022
Topic Review
Phosphorus-Solubilizing Microorganisms
Phosphorus (P) is one of the essential macronutrients for plant growth, being a highly required resource to improve the productive performance of several crops, especially in highly weathered soils. However, a large part of the nutrients applied in the form of fertilizers becomes “inert” in the medium term and cannot be assimilated by plants. Rationalizing the use of phosphorus is a matter of extreme importance for environmental sustainability and socioeconomic development. Therefore, alternatives to the management of this nutrient are needed, and the use of P-solubilizing microorganisms is an option to optimize its use by crops, allowing the exploration of less available fractions of the nutrient in soils and reducing the demand for phosphate fertilizers.
  • 1.8K
  • 06 Mar 2023
Topic Review
Iron Ore Reduction with Hydrogen
The steel industry represents about 7% of the world’s anthropogenic CO2 emissions due to the high use of fossil fuels. The CO2-lean direct reduction of iron ore with hydrogen is considered to offer a high potential to reduce CO2 emissions, and this direct reduction of Fe2O3 powder is investigated in this research.
  • 1.8K
  • 18 Sep 2021
Topic Review
Ecosystem Services of Constructed Wetlands for Wastewater Treatment
Constructed wetlands (CWs) are nature-based solutions that utilize natural vegetation, soils, and microbes to treat domestic wastewater and industrial effluents. They are engineered treatment systems that mimic the functions of natural wetlands to capture stormwater, reduce nutrient loads, and create diverse wildlife habitats. As an ecosystem, CWs contribute to human well-being by providing certain ecosystem services that can be classified into four distinct categories, namely: provisioning services, regulating services, supporting services, and cultural services.
  • 1.8K
  • 01 May 2023
Topic Review
Global Plastic Waste is Increasing
Global plastic waste is increasing rapidly. In general, densely populated regions generate tons of plastic waste daily, which is sometimes disposed of on land or diverged to sea. Most of the plastics created in the form of waste have complex degradation behavior and are non-biodegradable by nature. These remain intact in the environment for a long time span and potentially originate complications within terrestrial and marine life ecosystems. The strategic management of plastic waste and recycling can preserve environmental species and associated costs. 
  • 1.8K
  • 24 Sep 2021
Topic Review
Digitalization for Energy Saving and Emission Reduction
Digital technologies find a wide use on the energy market both on the energy supply and demand side. Many digital technologies such as smart home systems reduce the production of the energy necessary to produce goods and services in all aspects of our lives.
  • 1.7K
  • 18 Mar 2022
Topic Review
Microalgae as Biofertilizers in Modern Agriculture
Due to the constant growth of the human population and anthropological activity, it has become necessary to use sustainable and affordable technologies that satisfy the demand for agricultural products. Since the nutrients available to plants in the soil are limited and the need to increase the yields of the crops is desirable, the use of chemical (inorganic or NPK) fertilizers has been widespread, causing a nutrient shortage due to their misuse and exploitation, and because of the uncontrolled use of these products, there has been a latent environmental and health problem globally. For this reason, green biotechnology based on the use of microalgae biomass is proposed as a sustainable alternative for development and use as soil improvers for crop cultivation and phytoremediation. 
  • 1.7K
  • 15 Aug 2023
Topic Review
Climate Change on Smallholder Irrigation Schemes in Zimbabwe
Smallholder irrigation schemes (SISs) have been portrayed as a panacea to climate change adaptation. However, there is an emerging discourse that established schemes are becoming vulnerable to increased climate variability and change, particularly increased water stress. The change in climate experienced world-wide already has negative implications for 21st-century agriculture in Zimbabwe. There is mounting evidence that large investments have been made in Zimbabwe’s SISs in an attempt to depart from rain-fed agriculture through judicious harnessing of available water resources. However, there is rising concern about the need to build the resilience of these schemes to protect investments in light of a more variable climate. 
  • 1.7K
  • 01 Jun 2022
Topic Review
Toward a Feminist Agroecology
Agroecology is gaining ground as a movement, science, and set of practices designed to advance a food systems transformation which subverts the patterns of farmer exploitation currently entrenched in dominant agricultural models. A feminist agroecology focuses on redressing unequal gender relations as well as other intersecting relations of marginalization such as race, class, caste, and ethnic identity. 
  • 1.7K
  • 20 Oct 2021
  • Page
  • of
  • 26
Featured Entry Collections
>>

Featured Books

>>
Encyclopedia of COVID-19
Encyclopedia of Engineering
Encyclopedia of Social Sciences
Encyclopedia of Digital Society, Industry 5.0 and Smart City
Academic Video Service
Feedback