Topic Review
Silvopastoral System in Morocco
The silvopastoral systems in Morocco, which combine trees, herbaceous resources, and livestock on the same unit of land, are a socio-economically and ecologically productive alternative to traditional management systems. Successful silvopastoral systems require effective limitation of agricultural expansion and deforestation phenomena, which could preserve the beauty and diversity of the landscape.
  • 707
  • 21 Oct 2021
Topic Review
PEC Reactors for Water/Wastewater Treatment
Now and in the coming years, how we use and treat water, greywater and wastewater will become more important. A suitably designed photoelectrocatalytic (PEC) reactor is one potential solution. The photoexcitation of suitable semiconducting materials in aqueous environments can lead to the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). ROS can inactivate microorganisms and degrade a range of chemical compounds. In the case of heterogeneous photocatalysis, semiconducting materials may suffer from fast recombination of electron–hole pairs and require post-treatment to separate the photocatalyst when a suspension system is used. To reduce recombination and improve the rate of degradation, an externally applied electrical bias can be used where the semiconducting material is immobilised onto an electrically conducive support and connected to a counter electrode. These electrochemically assisted photocatalytic systems have been termed “photoelectrocatalytic” (PEC). The term is stated in the IUPAC Recommendations 2011 as “electrochemically assisted photocatalysis. The role of the photocatalyst is played by a photoelectrode, often a semiconductor”. A short description of photocatalysis is included as it can be beneficial for those unfamiliar with the topic, before moving onto PEC. This entry is adapted from https://doi.org/10.3390/w13091198
  • 2.0K
  • 20 Oct 2021
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. 
  • 1.1K
  • 20 Oct 2021
Topic Review
The Application of Zeolites and Mesoporous Silica Materials
Zeolites and mesoporous silica materials are effective adsorbents that can be useful for the removal of various pharmaceuticals including non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and antibiotics from low-quality water. This paper summarizes the properties and basic characteristics of zeolites and mesoporous silica materials and reviews the recent studies on the efficacy of the adsorption of selected non-steroidal medicinal products and antibiotics by these adsorbents to assess the potential opportunities and challenges of using them in water treatment. It was found that the adsorption capacity of sorbents with high silica content is related to their surface hydrophobicity (hydrophilicity) and structural features, such as micropore volume and pore size, as well as the properties of the studied medicinal products. 
  • 724
  • 20 Oct 2021
Topic Review
Silver Nanoparticle
Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are among the most commonly used engineered nanomaterials with medicinal, industrial, and agricultural applications. Considering the vast usage of AgNPs, there is a possibility of their release into the environment, and their potential toxicological effects on plants and animals. Apart from using the particulate form of silver, AgNPs may be transformed to silver oxide or silver sulfide via oxidation or sulfidation, respectively, and these ones impact the soil and living organisms in a variety of ways. Therefore, it is critical to address the behavior of nanoparticles in the environment and possible methods for their removal. This review focuses on three objectives to discuss this issue including: the possible pathways for the release of AgNPs into the environment; the toxicological effects of AgNPs on plants and microorganisms; and the recommended phytoremediation approaches.
  • 1.2K
  • 19 Oct 2021
Topic Review
Legal and Regulatory Framework for AI Solutions
The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and its pressure on the healthcare system is happening at a time of technological optimism and promise. The digitalization of health data, together with the advent of artificial intelligence (AI) solutions, have the potential to completely change the current pattern of the healthcare scenario and provide precise and predictive medical assessment for individuals in the future.
  • 522
  • 19 Oct 2021
Topic Review
Tougher Plastics Ban Policies in China
After the Chinese government's new plastics ban policies issued in 2020, another set of tougher plastics ban measures were introduced in Shanghai, China in 2021. The tougher plastic ban polices completely forbade the usage of plastic carrier bags and required all supermarkets to sell only cloth or nylon carrier bags priced from RMB 1.0 to 39.0. Tougher plastics ban policies are penalty-oriented. The tougher plastics ban policies produce positive plastics reducing effects by observing significantly decreased usage of charged carrier bags by 46%, and significantly increased usage of old plastic bags and reusable bags by 117% and 36%, respectively. Policy execution loopholes are found in some supermarkets which do not follow the tougher plastics ban measures. Fortunately, the spill-over effects from tougher-measure-executing supermarkets fix this issue to some extent. The tougher 2021 measures fail to be the most powerful impacting factor on people’s usage of each type of bag. To produce better plastics reducing results, other bag-targeted measures are necessary.
  • 949
  • 19 Oct 2021
Topic Review
Optimizing Sustainability Opportunities for Biochar
Biochar is most commonly considered for its use as a soil amendment, where it has gained attention for its potential to improve agricultural production and soil health. Twenty years of near exponential growth in investigation has demonstrated that biochar does not consistently deliver these benefits, due to variables in biochar, soil, climate, and cropping systems. While biochar can provide agronomic improvements in marginal soils, it is less likely to do so in temperate climates and fertile soils. Here, biochar and its coproducts may be better utilized for contaminant remediation or the substitution of nonrenewable or mining-intensive materials. 
  • 721
  • 18 Oct 2021
Topic Review
Reduced Fertilization and Biochar Supplementation on Soil Fertility
Generally, the partial substitution of chemical fertilizer with palm silk biochar (PSB) at a low application rate may not substantially reduce plant-available NO3−-N and Olsen-P. It can also contribute to the sustainable availability of N and P in vegetable farmland soil via a variety of transformation processes, such as mineralization, immobilization, and loss.
  • 464
  • 15 Oct 2021
Topic Review
Climate Change, Security and the Nexus Concept
The nexus concept has been emerging since the Bonn 2011 Conference, “The Water Energy and Food Security Nexus—Solutions for the Green Economy”, with significant involvement from the UN and other international organisations. It has been defined as a “set of context-specific critical interlinkages between two or more natural resources used in delivery chains towards systems of provision”. From a policy perspective, it looks at delivery chains of resources, such as water and energy, in a polycentric manner, i.e., as independent providers based on ecosystem services with interlinkages across delivery stages, but without a presumed hierarchy among those dimensions. Thus, water, energy and food are seen as interrelated and of equal priority for the SDGs, considering the specific conditions of their provision and the strategic interests of relevant actors.
  • 834
  • 15 Oct 2021
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