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Topic Review
Biography
Topic Review
Methods to Remediate Arsenic-Contaminated Soils
Arsenic is a metalloid widely distributed in the environment and of global concern for human health. In a promising breakthrough for sustainable arsenic soil remediation, a fern, Pteris vittata L., was discovered to take up arsenic from the soil and accumulate it in its fronds at up to ~100 times soil concentrations. Successively harvesting the fronds removes, or phytoextracts, arsenic from the soil with potential environmental and economic benefits including low site disturbance and low cost.
379
16 Jan 2023
Topic Review
Applications of Nanostructured Bioaerogel in Particulate Matter Removal
Particulate matter (PM) pollution is a significant environmental and public health issue globally. Exposure to high levels of PM, especially fine particles, can have severe health consequences. Conventional air filters are fabricated from non-biodegradable and non-ecofriendly materials which can cause further environmental pollution as a result of their excessive use. Nanostructured biopolymer aerogels have shown great promise in the field of particulate matter removal. Their unique properties, renewable nature, and potential for customization make them attractive materials for air pollution control.
379
27 Jul 2023
Topic Review
Virtual Water Trade
As a semi-arid/arid country located in the northwest of Africa, Morocco is facing serious water scarcity driven by the dual stresses of decreasing availability of water resources and increasing water demands. Virtual water trade could be an effective tool to alleviate water scarcity.
379
24 Oct 2023
Topic Review
Microclimate Stressors and Neurophysiological Responses with Citizen Science
An independent research project was undertaken by a pair of high school students to explore the relationships between local environmental stressors and physiological responses from the perspective of citizen science. Starting from July 2021, data from EEG headsets were complemented by those obtained from smartwatches (namely heart rate and its variability and body temperature and stress score). Identical units of a wearable device containing environmental sensors (such as ambient temperature, air pressure, infrared radiation, and relative humidity) were designed and worn, respectively, by five adolescents for the same period. More than 100,000 data points of different types — neurological, physiological, and environmental — were eventually collected and were processed through a random forest regression model and deep learning models. The results showed that the most influential microclimatic factors on the biometric indicators were noise and the concentrations of carbon dioxide and dust. Subsequently, more complex inferences were made from the Shapley value interpretation of the regression models. Such findings suggest implications for the design of living conditions with respect to the interaction of the microclimate and human health and comfort.
378
14 Sep 2022
Topic Review
Action for Climate Empowerment (ACE)
Action for Climate Empowerment (ACE) is a term adopted by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). It refers to Article 6 of the Convention’s original text (1992), focusing on six priority areas: education, training, public awareness, public participation, public access to information, and international cooperation on these issues. The implementation of all six areas has been identified as the pivotal factor for everyone to understand and participate in solving the complex challenges presented by climate change. The importance of ACE is reflected in other international frameworks such as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs, 2015); the Global Action Programme for Education for Sustainable Development (GAP on ESD, 2014); the Aarhus Convention (2011); and the Bali Guidelines (2010). ACE calls on governments to develop and implement educational and public awareness programmes, train scientific, technical and managerial personnel, foster access to information, and promote public participation in addressing climate change and its effects. It also urges countries to cooperate in this process, by exchanging good practices and lessons learned, and strengthening national institutions. This wide scope of activities is guided by specific objectives that, together, are seen as crucial for effectively implementing climate adaptation and mitigation actions, and for achieving the ultimate objective of the UNFCCC.
378
08 Nov 2022
Topic Review
Driving Factors of Ecosystem Services
The optimization of tree structure contributes to the improvement in Ecosystem service (ES) provision and the regulation capacity. Species diversity plays an important role in provision services, while functional diversity is equally important in regulation services. Plant root functional traits can not only help regulation services but also determine the species and structure of rhizosphere microbial communities. The response of ES to a certain factor has been extensively reviewed, but the interaction of multiple driving factors needs to be further studied, especially in how to drive the supply capacity of ES in multi-factor and multi-scale ways. Clarifying the driving mechanism of ES at different scales will help to improve the supply capacity of the ecosystem and achieve the goal of sustainable development.
378
21 Apr 2023
Topic Review
Life Cycle Thinking for a Circular Bioeconomy
The circular bioeconomy (CBE) is an increasingly popular method used to add value to bio-based products. However, these products entail impacts on sustainability that can be assessed by life cycle thinking (LCT). LCT is an approach to assess the impacts of products throughout their life cycles by using different tools, namely: (environmental) life cycle assessment (LCA), life cycle costing (LCC), social life cycle assessment (SLCA) and life cycle sustainability assessment (LCSA), which is a combination of the three and aims to assess the impacts of all of the three dimensions of sustainability.
378
18 Sep 2023
Topic Review
Smart Irrigation for Improving Water Productivity in Drylands
By using several factors, including soil and climate variation, soil properties, plant responses to water deficits, and changes in weather factors, smart irrigation can drive better irrigation decisions that can help save water and increase yields. Various smart irrigation approaches, such as artificial intelligence and deep learning (artificial neural network, fuzzy logic, expert system, hybrid intelligent system, and deep learning), model predictive irrigation systems, variable rate irrigation (VRI) technology, and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) could ensure high water use efficiency in water-scarce regions. These smart irrigation technologies can improve water management and accelerate the progress in achieving multiple Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), where no one gets left behind.
378
26 Oct 2023
Topic Review
Vermicompost Application in the Remediation of Soils
Vermicompost improves soil quality, increases nutrient availability, boosts crop productivity, and enhances pest and disease tolerance. It acts as an organic fertilizer, enriching the soil with essential nutrients, humic acids, growth-regulating hormones, and enzymes, improving plant nutrition, photosynthesis, and overall crop quality. Furthermore, vermicompost shows promise in mitigating soil degradation and sequestering organic carbon while demonstrating the potential for pest management, including effectiveness against pests like fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda).
378
20 Nov 2023
Topic Review
Fracture Characterization of Naturally Fractured Reservoirs
Recent developments in fracture characterization, modeling, and the impact of fracture networks on oil recovery in naturally carbonate-fractured reservoirs have been reviewed. The pivotal role of fracture identification and characterization in understanding production mechanisms and developing realistic fracture modeling approaches has been highlighted. This concludes that improved fracture network modeling requires considering various factors, such as data collection, fracture characterization, reservoir simulation, and model updating based on newly acquired field data. Integrating multiple techniques and data sources is recommended for obtaining a reliable reservoir model to optimize primary and enhanced oil recovery methods.
377
08 May 2023
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