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
P(3HB-co-3HV)
Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (P(3HB-co-3HV)) is the most studied short-chain-length polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) with high application importance in various fields owing to its biodegradability, biocompatibility, renewability and thermoplastic properties. PHA are biopolyesters with plastic-like properties accumulated by microorganisms as a reserved energy source in the form of granules under carbon-excess and nitrogen-limited conditions. P(3HB-co-3HV) can be produced through microbial fermentation and has great potential as an alternative for non-biodegradable synthetic plastics.
  • 973
  • 24 Feb 2022
Topic Review
Smartphone Recycling Behaviour Sustainability in UAE
Repeated actions and behaviours are characteristic of people’s daily lives. However, there is a dilemma when this repeated action is associated with mobile phone recycling since convincing mobile users to recycle sustainably is challenging. This research analysed the four factors (i.e., actual knowledge, salience, environmental constraints, and habits) adopted from the Integrated Behavioural Model (IBM) theory and examined their impact on behavioural sustainability. A partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) approach was applied to evaluate 601 responses from a self-administered online survey collected from mobile user participants based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). It's indicated that habit has the strongest and statistically significant positive influence on behaviour; followed by knowledge and skills. Additionally, the salience of behaviour has a considerably negative influence on behaviour sustainability unaffected by environmental constraints.
  • 708
  • 02 Mar 2022
Topic Review
Biofouling on Stainless Steel
In humid environments, the formation of biofilms and microfouling are known to be the detrimental processes that first occur on stainless steel surfaces. This is known as biofouling. Subsequently, the conditions created by metabolites and the activity of organisms trigger corrosion of the metal and accelerate corrosion locally, causing a deterioration in, and alterations to, the performance of devices made of stainless steel. The microorganisms which thus affect stainless steel are mainly algae and bacteria.
  • 1.4K
  • 24 Feb 2022
Topic Review
Mapping Green Infrastructure Based on Multifunctional Ecosystem Services
Most sustainable planning frameworks assess natural and social–economic landscape systems as separate entities, and the understanding of the interrelationships between them is incomplete. Landscape classification in urbanizing environments requires an integrated spatial planning approach to better address the United Nation’s sustainable development challenges.
  • 442
  • 28 Feb 2022
Topic Review
Human–Environment Relationships: Culture and Pedagogy
Human culture can be regarded as the general context where the human–environment relationships take place and develop. Interestingly, studies on human culture and cultural evolution have been enriched with some novel perspectives that appear to dovetail with recent developments in evolutionary biology. All this allows a fresh and promising understanding of the fundamentals of human-environment interaction, according to which the environment can be shown to exert a pedagogical role for humanity, and humanity can be understood as a species modifying the environment to the aim of modifying itself.
  • 2.1K
  • 23 Feb 2022
Topic Review
People’s Perception of Experimental Installations for Sustainable Energy
Nuclear facilities are a main milestone in the long way to sustainable energy. Beyond the well-known fission centrals, the necessity of cleaner, more efficient and almost unlimited energy reducing waste to almost zero is a major challenge in the next decades. This is the case with nuclear fusion. Different experimental installations to definitively control this nuclear power are proliferating in different countries. However, citizens in the surroundings of cities and villages where these installations are going to be settled are frequently reluctant because of doubts about the expected benefits and the potential hazards.
  • 390
  • 24 Feb 2022
Topic Review
Determination of Psychoactive Drugs in Air
Understanding of the levels of psychoactive drugs in air is important for assessing both occupational and environmental exposure. Intelligence on the usage and manufacture of illegal drugs can also be gained. Environmental analysis and determination of air quality has recently expanded from its traditional focus to new pollutant categories that include illicit and psychoactive drugs. 
  • 706
  • 22 Feb 2022
Topic Review
The Production of Rare Earth Elements
Rare earth elements (REE) are less than 20% of all elements naturally occurring in the environment. They are defined as a group of 17 elements comprising scandium (Sc), yttrium (Y), and lanthanum (La) elements of group 3B of Periodic Table, and the 14 elements of the lanthanides series, Ce, Pr, Nd, Pm, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb, and Lu.
  • 929
  • 23 Feb 2022
Topic Review
Boosting C Sequestration through Forest Management
Soil has a major role in sequestering atmospheric CO2. This has further benefits and potential to improve soil fertility and food production, mitigate climate change, restore land degradation, and conserve ecosystem biodiversity. However, its health is increasingly being threatened by the growing population, land degradation and climate change effects. Despite its importance, soil organic carbon (SOC) is understudied in the tropics.
  • 504
  • 24 Feb 2022
Topic Review
Food Consumption Water Footprint in Tunisia- MENA Region
Tunisia, like most countries in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, has limited renewable water resources and is classified as a water stress country. The effects of climate change are exacerbating the situation. The agricultural sector is the main consumer (80%) of blue water reserves. These dietary water footprint estimates can be used to assess potential water demand scenarios as food consumption patterns change. Analysis at the geographic and socio-demographic levels helps to inform policy makers by identifying realistic dietary changes.
  • 684
  • 24 Feb 2022
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