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
Environmental Applications of Nanocellulose-Based Membranes
Extensive research and development in the production of nanocellulose, a green, bio-based, and renewable biomaterial has paved the way for the development of advanced functional materials for a multitude of applications. From a membrane technology perspective, the exceptional mechanical strength, high crystallinity, tunable surface chemistry, and anti-fouling behavior of nanocellulose, manifested from its structural and nanodimensional properties are particularly attractive. Thus, an opportunity has emerged to exploit these features to develop nanocellulose-based membranes for environmental applications including water filtration, environmental remediation, and for the development of pollutant sensors and energy devices.
  • 982
  • 09 Mar 2022
Topic Review
Separation and Recycling Potential of Rare Earth Elements
Rare earth elements (REEs) are key chemical raw materials in the development of low-carbon industrial processes and especially in green energy technologies. The REEs include 17 elements that can be found in nature (15 lanthanides La-Lu, Sc, and Y). They are ironically quite well represented in the Earth’s crust, except for the radioactive promethium, which is very rare. However, they are rarely found alone and at economically attractive concentrations, which make them expensive and complicated to extract and separate in high purity with conventional separation techniques. 
  • 743
  • 10 Mar 2022
Topic Review
Building Material Recycling
Construction is amongst the leading sectors contributing to global economic growth whilst having a huge adverse impact on resource consumption, GHG emission, solid waste generation, and global warming. One of the main strategies to deal effectively with demolished building materials or components at the end of a building’s useful service life is recycling. Recycling is defined as the process of converting construction and demolition waste into new material.
  • 1.5K
  • 09 Mar 2022
Topic Review
Differential Spatiotemporal Distribution of Cryptic Intertidal Bangiales
Morphologically similar but genetically distinct species have been termed cryptic and most have been assumed to be ecologically similar. However, if these species co-occur at a certain spatial scale, some niche differences at finer scales should be expected to allow for coexistence. Bladed Bangiales were identified and quantified across four intertidal elevations and four seasons for one year, at five rocky intertidal sites (between 39° S and 43° S) in southern Chile. Species determination was based on partial sequences of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase 1 (COI) gene amplification. To assess species gross morphology, thallus shape, color, and maximum length and width were recorded. Hundreds of organisms were classified into nine Bangiales species belonging to three genera (i.e., Fuscifolium, Porphyra, and Pyropia), including five frequent (>97% of specimens) and four infrequent species. All species, except for Pyropia saldanhae, had been previously reported along the coasts of Chile. The thallus shape and color were very variable, and a large overlap of the maximum width and length supported the cryptic status of these species. Multivariate analyses showed that the main variable affecting species composition was intertidal elevation. Species such as Py. orbicularis were more abundant in low and mid intertidal zones, while others, such as Po. mumfordii and Po. sp. FIH, were principally observed in high and spray elevations. Despite all numerically dominant species being present all year long, a slight effect of seasonal variation on species composition was also detected. These results strongly support the existence of spatial niche partitioning in cryptic Bangiales along the Chilean rocky intertidal zone.
  • 411
  • 10 Mar 2022
Topic Review
Spatiotemporal Variation in Gross Primary Productivity
Carbon uptake through the photosynthesis process by a terrestrial ecosystem termed gross primary productivity (GPP) is the way CO2 enters into the biosphere from the atmosphere. GPP not only drives the ecosystem functioning but also takes part in terrestrial carbon sequestration through phenological and physiological processes.
  • 436
  • 10 Mar 2022
Topic Review
Sustainable Development and Environmental Kuznets Curve
Under the Kyoto Protocol which is international law since 2005, 15 EU member countries (the "EU-15") committed to reducing their collective emissions of a set of six greenhouse gases in the 2008-2012 period to 8% below the 1990 level. The EU established the first cap-and-trade system for carbon dioxide emissions in the world in 2005. This entry uses the effect of the European Union Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) on carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions for the European Union using a cross-country panel data set consisting of 12 countries extracted from the EU-15 from 1980 to 2009. 
  • 816
  • 18 Dec 2022
Topic Review
Influence of Sunshine Exposure on Public Mental Health
External environments, including natural sunlight, have a significant impact on public mental health. The results showed that exposure to sunlight, spending leisure time in green spaces, and physical activity each had a positive impact on people’s mental health, including depression, anxiety, and stress states. Specifically, moderate physical activity in an external environment with sunlight exposure or green space was found to be an important factor. 
  • 344
  • 10 Mar 2022
Topic Review
Air Pollution Tolerance Index
Air pollution is a global environmental issue, and there is an urgent need for sustainable remediation techniques. Thus, phytoremediation has become a popular approach to air pollution remediation.
  • 996
  • 29 Mar 2022
Topic Review
Impact of Climate Change on Hydrometeorology and Droughts
Climate change is associated with shifts in average climatic conditions and extreme events likely to impact human and ecological systems. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report (IPCC), the frequency and intensity of heavy precipitation events and daily temperature extremes are expected to increase in the mid-21st century. Based on past studies, the increase in long-term temperature and variability in precipitation in different parts of the world and their impacts on the environment are becoming evident.
  • 744
  • 04 Mar 2022
Topic Review
Sanitation as a Human Right
Adequate sanitation is essential for health, human well-being, the preservation of water resources, biodiversity, and the full enjoyment of human rights. Sanitation is a human right, and although it is linked to the human right to water (HRW), it has specific characteristics that deserve particular attention. These components are (1) availability; (2) quality; (3) physical accessibility; (4) affordability; (5) acceptability; (6) equality and non-discrimination; (7) government management and inter-institutional coordination; (8) access to information and participation; and (9) environmental protection. These components enable the analysis of other aspects that may not be fully considered from the traditional sanitation approach.
  • 585
  • 11 Mar 2022
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