Summary

Environmental science emerged from the fields of natural history and medicine during the Enlightenment. Today, it provides an integrated, quantitative, and interdisciplinary approach to the study of environmental systems. Environmental studies are incorporating more of the social sciences in order to understand human relationships, perceptions and policies towards the environment. This entry collection features information about design and technology for improving environmental quality in every aspect.

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Topic Review
Fermented Plant Biomass in Pigs Feeding
The demand for animal-based food production is increasing mainly due to the rapid growth of the human population. The effective production of high-quality agricultural products promotes and protects the natural environment, human health, and animal welfare. Sustainable processing involves minimizing the waste stream. One way to use agricultural plant-based waste, which is often rich in bioactive substances, is to produce fermented feed in accordance with the principles of sustainable development. Corn, yellow lupins, and narrow-leaved lupins are rich in nutrients, and are suitable for fermentation and use in pig feed. They are also safe for weaned piglets. Used as a feed additive, fermented plant biomass has a positive effect on the health of pigs, increasing their weight and improving the taste and appearance of the meat. The fermentation of plant biomass reduces antinutritional substances that are abundant in feed components.
  • 926
  • 16 Nov 2022
Topic Review
Agro-Industrial Food Waste for Production of Industrial Enzymes
The grave environmental, social, and economic concerns over the unprecedented exploitation of non-renewable energy resources have drawn the attention of policy makers and research organizations towards the sustainable use of agro-industrial food and crop wastes. Enzymes are versatile biocatalysts with immense potential to transform the food industry and lignocellulosic biorefineries. Microbial enzymes offer cleaner and greener solutions to produce fine chemicals and compounds. The production of industrially important enzymes from abundantly present agro-industrial food waste offers economic solutions for the commercial production of value-added chemicals. The recent developments in biocatalytic systems are designed to either increase the catalytic capability of the commercial enzymes or create new enzymes with distinctive properties. The limitations of low catalytic efficiency and enzyme denaturation in ambient conditions can be mitigated by employing diverse and inexpensive immobilization carriers, such as agro-food based materials, biopolymers, and nanomaterials. Moreover, revolutionary protein engineering tools help in designing and constructing tailored enzymes with improved substrate specificity, catalytic activity, stability, and reaction product inhibition. This review discusses the recent developments in the production of essential industrial enzymes from agro-industrial food trash and the application of low-cost immobilization and enzyme engineering approaches for sustainable development.
  • 1.1K
  • 21 Nov 2022
Topic Review
End-of-Life Vehicle Management Systems in Southeast Aisa
End-of-life vehicle (ELV) management is becoming increasingly important as the automotive industry is one of the world’s most critical sectors and is rapidly expanding. ELV management is essential for environmental protection and wellbeing under Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3, provides more jobs under SDG 8, and promotes a circular economy under SDG 11. All these factors contribute to the importance of ELV management as a research topic. ELV management is well-positioned and an emerging research area particularly on ELV recycling systems in Europe, Japan, Korea, Taiwan and China. Immature ELV management systems in Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia are the reason that no specific ELV laws and regulations exist, as well as why there are no precise ELV statistics. Nevertheless, there have been growing concerns about ELV management, as evidenced by environmental regulations and programs aimed at better management of ELV recycling in these countries.
  • 1.2K
  • 21 Nov 2022
Topic Review
Conversion of Spent SCR Catalysts into Photocatalysts
Research has explored new recycling methods to convert spent SCR catalysts into products rather than raw materials, such as a pigment and ceramic opacifier. The idea of recycling spent SCR catalysts as photocatalysts for pollution treatment is in-line with the concept of “treating waste with waste”.
  • 443
  • 16 Nov 2022
Topic Review
Nickel Toxicity Effects on Crop and Soil
Low or moderate nickel concentrations in soils can cause environmental problems. The main effects of this potentially toxic element on the soil biota and the most common crop species are addressed.
  • 1.1K
  • 11 Nov 2022
Topic Review
Global Warming and Dairy Cattle
Concerns about greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from livestock and dairy farms, as well as their connection to global warming and climate change, have grown among the general public worldwide in recent years. Enteric methane (CH4) and other greenhouse gas emissions from ruminants can be mitigated in numerous ways.
  • 773
  • 10 Nov 2022
Topic Review
Crop Sustainability and Five Domains in Mediterranean Region
Most of the Mediterranean region has experienced frequent natural disasters, expanding population, increase in temperature, and increase in the surface of the Mediterranean Sea. Furthermore, the temperature in the Mediterranean area is rising 25% faster than the rest of the globe, and in the summer, it is warming 40% faster than the global average. Climate change can alter the food supply, restrict access to food, and degrade food quality. Temperature rises, changes in precipitation patterns, changes in severe weather events, and decreased water availability, for example, might all result in lower agricultural production. The fact that most Mediterranean nations rely on imported basic foodstuffs adds to the severity of the situation. Instability and insecurity of agricultural supply in the region might lead to massive population movement, transforming most Mediterranean nations into a global source of instability.
  • 650
  • 10 Nov 2022
Topic Review
Invasive Alien Plant Species in European Paper Production
Invasive plant species can impede the establishment and growth of native plants and affect several ecosystem properties. These properties include soil cover, nutrient cycling, fire regimes, and hydrology. Controlling invasive plants is therefore a necessary, but usually expensive, step in restoring an ecosystem. The sustainability of materials with an emphasis on the use of local resources plays an important role in the circular economy. The use of alternative fibers from invasive plants promotes local production in smaller paper mills that offer the protection of local species and the reduction of waste and invasive plants.
  • 614
  • 10 Nov 2022
Topic Review
Single-Particle Analysis of Atmospheric Aerosols
Atmospheric aerosols, produced as a consequence of different anthropogenic and natural processes, impart significant control over the global energy budget, climate, and human-environmental health. Their size varies across the nano-micrometer scale. Based on their origin, they may be classified into primary or secondary aerosols. Biomass burning, incomplete combustion of fossil fuels, volcanic eruptions, and traffic-related and wind-driven suspensions contribute to primary aerosol emissions. In contrast, gas-to-particle conversion within the atmosphere leads to secondary particle production. The study of atmospheric aerosols is vital to the field of atmospheric research. The dynamic nature (highly variable concentration composition and size with space and time) of aerosols makes them difficult to investigate. Today, aerosol research involves the application of various spectrometric and spectroscopic techniques. The single-particle analysis of aerosol is yet a challenge. The merits and demerits of various offline and online techniques used for aerosol research are discussed in a nutshell. Mass spectrometric techniques fail in distinguishing certain species.
  • 501
  • 10 Nov 2022
Topic Review
Education for Sustainable Development
Education can serve the purpose of trying to mitigate catastrophes, from the climate change education perspective. Therefore, understanding how teachers are engaging with sustainability issues can help to reveal how they cope with it. In a school context, teachers can have a role in enacting an interconnection between critical thinking (CT) as a potentially useful tool and education for sustainable development (ESD), in terms of educating and communicating the importance of sustainability to future generations.
  • 1.4K
  • 14 Nov 2022
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