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
Portuguese Triticum aestivum
Bread wheat (Triticum aestivum) is a major crop worldwide, and it is highly susceptible to heat. Genetic diversity is scarce as regards heat tolerance, and remains a major concern for breeders in Mediterranean region. Grain traits were evaluated in Portuguese Triticum aestivum germplasm after plants exposure to heat during grain filling stage. Seven ancient landraces and traditional varieties from INIAV wheat collection, Gentil Rosso, Grécia, Mocho de Espiga Branca (MEB), Mocho de Espiga Quadrada (MEQ), Transmontano 94 (T94), Restauração and Ruivo, and two commercial varieties, Ardila and Nabão, were considered in the study. Plants were grown in a semi-controlled greenhouse. Heat increased test weight (TW), thousand-kernel weight (TKW), soluble sugars, protein and essential fatty acids (C18:1 and C18:2)  in some of the genotypes. From PCA analysis of traits, one commercial (Ardila) and two landraces (Restauração and Russo) showed clustering in approximate positions no matter the treatment and seem to be less susceptible to heat. In contrast, one landrace (MEQ) seems more differentially affected and hence less adapted to high temperatures during grain filling. Physiological responses to heat, particularly their impact on grain filling and quality, may assist breeding design of heat-adapted wheat in the scenario of predicted climate changes.
  • 466
  • 24 Mar 2022
Topic Review
Seaweeds in Producing Safe and Sustainable Bio-Packaging
Diverse studies demonstrate that seaweed polysaccharides (e.g., alginates and carrageenans) not only provide health benefits, but also contribute to the production of biopolymeric film and biodegradable packaging. The dispersion of plastics and microplastics in the oceans provoke serious environmental issues that influence ecosystems and aquatic organisms. Thus, the sustainable use of seaweed-derived biopolymers is now crucial to replace plasticizers with biodegradable materials, and thus preserve the environment. 
  • 2.9K
  • 24 Mar 2022
Topic Review
Carbon Emission Reduction Efforts and Government Subsidy Strategies
Government subsidies positively influenced the carbon emission reduction efforts and marketing efforts of supply chain members and could increase the overall profit of the supply chain and the overall welfare of society. Meanwhile, social welfare increased first and then decreased with the subsidy, and there was a maximum value. Within a certain threshold, when the market demand was sensitive to carbon emission reduction efforts, it was more beneficial to subsidize manufacturers, and when it was sensitive to marketing efforts, subsidizing retailers was more beneficial. Regardless of the subsidy situation, an optimal subsidy rate exists among supply chain members. Meanwhile, adjusting government subsidy measures can decrease the profit gap between supply chain members, and it provides potential possibilities for cooperation among supply chain members.
  • 461
  • 24 Mar 2022
Topic Review
Microbial Metal Removing Strategy
Rapid industrialization has led to the pollution of soil and water by various types of contaminants. Heavy metals (HMs) are considered the most reactive toxic contaminants, even at low concentrations, which cause health problems through accumulation in the food chain and water. Remediation using conventional methods, including physical and chemical techniques, is a costly treatment process and generates toxic by-products, which may negatively affect the surrounding environment. Therefore, biosorption has attracted significant research interest in the recent decades. In contrast to existing methods, bacterial biomass offers a potential alternative for recovering toxic/persistent HMs from the environment through different mechanisms for metal ion uptake.
  • 688
  • 23 Mar 2022
Topic Review
Bioplastic of Polyhydroxyalkanoates and Vegetal-Fibers as Biopackaging Alternatives
This is an overview of polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA)–vegetal fiber composites, the effects of the fiber type, and the production method's impact on the mechanical, thermal, barrier properties, and biodegradability, all relevant for biopackaging. To acknowledge the behaviors and trends of the biomaterials reinforcement field, the researchers searched for granted patents focusing on bio-packaging applications and gained insight into current industry developments and contributions.
  • 862
  • 23 Mar 2022
Topic Review
Lean Six Sigma Impact Analysis on Sustainability
Many world-class manufacturing companies use the concept of lean (L) as an improvement method. Its objectives are eliminating waste and non-value activities in production processes, cost reduction, and achieving faster service with less human effort, time, and equipment by applying tools and techniques that fulfill these objectives. Six Sigma (SS) is used in manufacturing industries to reduce and eliminate defects and variability in production, delivery and cycle times, forecasting, quality, customer service, and logistics, among others. It uses various methods, such as “define, measure, analyze, improve and control” (DMAIC) for existing processes, and “define, measure, analyze, design, and verify” (DMADV) for new products or processes. Both L and SS are complementary approaches to achieving good performance. Their integration is known as Lean Six Sigma (LSS). LSS identifies customer needs and eliminates waste while reducing process variability. 
  • 1.2K
  • 23 Mar 2022
Topic Review
Ecological Planning of Manufacturing Process Chains
Production planning is a critical step for the implementation of sustainable production. It is necessary to consider energy and resource efficiency in all planning phases to promote sustainable production.
  • 520
  • 22 Mar 2022
Topic Review
Valorisation of Animal By-Products
The treatment and reduction of animal by-products has registered an increase in the awareness that this type of materials is underutilised and can represent a valuable resource if treated correctly. Consequently, it is no longer practical to dispose of animal by-products, especially when a significant amount of potential raw materials is produced, which can have a high economic potential through the production of new products with significant added value. The reuse and valorisation of animal by-products (ABPs) generated in the food retail sector can involve sending these by-products to another company/organisation or industry, where they will be processed in order to obtain added-value products. This type of valorisation originates an industrial symbiosis.
  • 1.0K
  • 22 Mar 2022
Topic Review
RNA/DNA Differences Associated with Drought Response in Wheat
RNA/DNA difference (RDD) is a post-transcriptional RNA modification to enrich genetic information, widely involved in regulating diverse biological processes in eukaryotes. RDDs in the wheat nuclear genome, especially those associated with drought response or tolerance, were not well studied up to now.
  • 352
  • 21 Mar 2022
Topic Review
Watershed Eco-Compensation Mechanism in China
The watershed’s ecological environment and water resources contribute significantly to agricultural production and the people’s well-being. However, excessive exploitation and utilization of watersheds harm the watershed ecosystem environment. The reduction in biodiversity, water quality degradation, and decline in ecosystem stability have become severe. Watershed eco-compensation (WEC) is considered a significant environmental policy instrument for watershed ecological protection and management.
  • 530
  • 22 Mar 2022
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