Topic Review
Microplastics in Sewage Sludge
The microplastics (MPs) refers to the set of particles of plastic material that have a size of less than 5 mm. Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) represent the last barrier before the discharge of MPs into an aquatic ecosystem.
  • 540
  • 27 Nov 2021
Topic Review
Cellular Automata in Modeling and Predicting Urban Densification
The creation of an accurate simulation of future urban growth is considered to be one of the most important challenges of the last five decades that involves spatial modeling within a GIS environment. Even though built-up densification processes, or transitions from low to high density, are critical for policymakers concerned with limiting sprawl, the literature on models for urban study reveals that most of them focus solely on the expansion process. Although the majority of these models have similar goals, they differ in terms of implementation and theoretical assumptions. Cellular automata (CA) models have been proven to be successful at simulating urban growth dynamics and projecting future scenarios at multiple scales.
  • 537
  • 05 Aug 2022
Topic Review
Desalination with Solar Stills in Mexico
Access to freshwater for rural populations is increasingly difficult worldwide. Even in coastal regions with abundantly available seawater, this is not suitable to meet the population’s basic needs. Desalination with solar stills represents a simple, inexpensive, and accessible alternative to obtaining freshwater. 
  • 534
  • 28 May 2022
Topic Review
Graphene Family Nanomaterials (GFN)-TiO2
TiO2 is a naturally occurring oxide of titanium with structural stability and corrosion resistance. Although TiO2 is typically considered to be of low toxicity, the development of TiO2 nanotechnologies has resulted in increased human and environmental exposure, putting TiO2 nanoparticles under toxicological scrutiny. The points of view on the intrinsic properties of TiO2, GFNs (pristine graphene, graphene oxide (GO), reduced GO, and graphene quantum dots (GQDs)), and GFN-TiO2 are presented. This entry also explains practical synthesis techniques along with perspective characteristics of these TiO2- and/or graphene-based materials. The enhancement of the photocatalytic activity by using GFN-TiO2 and its improved photocatalytic reactions for the treatment of organic, inorganic, and biological pollutants in water and air phases are reported. It is expected that this entry can provide insights into the key to optimizing the photocatalytic activity of GFN-TiO2 and possible directions for future development in these fields.
  • 531
  • 01 Dec 2021
Topic Review
Port-Related Shipping Gas Emissions
The global increase in shipping activity has contributed to the degradation of air quality, which particularly affects traffic-dense port areas. Due to the environmental and public health impacts of air quality in port cities, a number of inventories using varying methodologies have been conducted over the past two decades to manage gas emissions in specific areas. 
  • 528
  • 23 Jun 2022
Topic Review
Online Pipeline Characterisation on Autonomous Underwater Vehicles
Nowadays, more frequently, it is necessary to perform underwater operations such as surveying an area or inspecting and intervening on industrial infrastructures such as offshore oil and gas rigs or pipeline networks. The use of Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUV) has grown as a way to automate these tasks, reducing risks and execution time. One of the used sensing modalities is vision, providing RGB high-quality information in the mid to low range, making it appropriate for manipulation or detail inspection tasks. This research presents the use of a deep neural network to perform pixel-wise 3D segmentation of pipes and valves on underwater point clouds generated using a stereo pair of cameras. In addition, two novel algorithms are built to extract information from the detected instances, providing pipe vectors, gripping points, the position of structural elements such as elbows or connections, and valve type and orientation. The neural network and information algorithms are implemented on an AUV and executed in real-time, validating that the output information stream frame rate of 0.72 fps is high enough to perform manipulation tasks and to ensure full seabed coverage during inspection tasks. The used dataset, along with a trained model and the information algorithms, are provided to the scientific community.
  • 527
  • 11 Nov 2022
Topic Review
Chlorination of Harvested Rainwater
 In many rural areas, primary water sources such as surface water and groundwater are at risk of contamination with rapid agricultural and industrial growth and climate change-related issues. Rainwater harvesting is an ancient practice for rural communities, and the momentum around its use is continually growing in recent years. Among the disinfection methods, chlorination is the most common method in large-scale water treatment schemes. It is also one of the most cost-effective water disinfection processes. It is further suggested that free chlorine could be extensively efficacious against most waterborne pathogens and cause destruction of the cell DNA of these microorganisms, except for Cryptosporidium parvum oocysts and Mycobacteria species. Consequently, this method could reduce waterborne diseases in many countries. In addition, chlorine tablets and liquid pool chlorine are reasonably accessible and safe for transportation to the end-users for residential purposes.
  • 526
  • 14 Aug 2023
Topic Review
Rice Industry By-Products for Removing Fluoride/Arsenic from Water
In drinking water, high concentrations of fluoride and arsenic can have adverse effects on human health. Waste deriving from the rice industry (rice husk, rice straw, rice bran) can be promising adsorbent materials, because they are (i) produced in large quantities in many parts of the world, (ii) recoverable in a circular economy perspective, (iii) at low cost if compared to expensive conventional activated carbon, and (iv) easily manageable even in developing countries. For the removal of fluoride, rice husk and rice straw allowed to obtain adsorption capacities in the range of 7.9–15.2 mg/g. Using rice husk for arsenic adsorption, excellent results were achieved with adsorption capacities above 19 mg/g. The best results both for fluorides and arsenic (>50 mg/g) were found with metal- or chemical-modified rice straw and rice husk.
  • 522
  • 31 Mar 2022
Topic Review
Phytoremediation of Domestic Wastewater
A circular economy (CE) based strategy is essential to progress toward Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). CE is centered on the conversion of waste into meaningful products and resource efficiency with the objective of promoting resource reuse. This study presents the potential of CE approaches in the phytoremediation of wastewater and energy recovery using hydroponic tanks. The integration of phytoremediation with bioenergy, construction and lifespan of hydroponic tanks in phytoremediation of wastewater, selection of aquatic plants, and the expected challenges in the implementation of CE in phytoremediation of wastewater were discussed. It further elucidates a comprehensive circularity assessment methodology that would enable and support a strategic CE framework for phytoremediation techniques in wastewater treatment. Additionally, a complete view of the feedstock conversion process into valuable end products was discussed in this CE strategic study. The findings obtained provided insights into the relative growth rate of the plant-based biomass harvested from the phytoremediation of domestic wastewater. It also provided information on the economic and technical feasibility of wastewater phytoremediation using hydroponic tanks for simultaneous recovery of treated water and plants’ biomass to enable large-scale implementation. Furthermore, optimizing resource recovery and bioenergy generation, developing new approaches and solutions, and improving process stability would help encourage and enhance the adoption of the CE framework in the phytoremediation of domestic wastewater.
  • 522
  • 30 Jun 2022
Topic Review
Hydroponic Cultivation
The increasing demand for food, the lack of natural resources and arable land, and the recent restrictions on energy consumption require an immediate solution in terms of agricultural activities. The soil loss, the crop/soil contamination, and the greenhouse gas emissions were the criteria for the environmental comparison of conventional agriculture and hydroponics. As for resource consumption, the water consumption rates (L/kg), energy consumption rates (kWh), and energy required (kW) were the criteria for comparing conventional agriculture with hydroponics.
  • 520
  • 27 Feb 2023
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