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
Heat Stress and Decision Tools
Over the last few decades, Urban Heat Stress (UHS) has become a crucial concern of scientists and policy-makers. Many projects have been implemented to mitigate Urban Heat Island (UHI) effects using nature-based solutions. However, decision-making and selecting an adequate framework are difficult because of complex interactions between natural, social, economic and built environments. This paper contributes to the UHI issue by (i) identifying the most important key factors of a Decision Support Tool (DST) used for urban heat mitigation, (ii) presenting multi-criteria methods applied to urban heat resilience, (iii) reviewing existing spatial and non-spatial DSTs, (iv) and analyzing, classifying and ranking DSTs. It aims to help decision-makers through an overview of the pros and cons of existing DSTs and indicate which tool is providing maximum support for choosing and planning heat resilience measures from the designing phase to the heat mitigation phase. This review shows that Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) can be used for any pilot site and the criteria can be adapted to the given location accordingly. It also highlights that GIS-based spatial tools have an effective decision support system (DSS) because they offer a quick assessment of interventions and predict long-term effects of urban heat. A comparative study using specific chosen criteria concludes that the DSS tool is well suited and fulfils many prerequisites to support new policies and interventions to mitigate UHS.   
  • 1.0K
  • 07 Jul 2021
Topic Review
Removal of Pesticides from Waters
Pesticides are pollutants found in wastewater due to increasing agricultural activities over the years. Inappropriate dosing of pesticides results in the dispersal of active ingredients in the environment. The complete removal of pesticides from wastewater is an immediate concern due to their high toxicity and mobility. At present, adsorption is one of the most widely used methods for pesticide removal, in which synthetic zeolites and mesoporous silica materials are extensively applied. This article presents a systematic and comparative review of the applications and comparison of these adsorbents, based on the data reported in the literature.
  • 1.5K
  • 07 Jul 2021
Topic Review
Metabolites of Apple
Apples represent a greater proportion of the worldwide fruit supply, due to their availability on the market and to the high number of existing cultivar varieties and apple-based products (fresh fruit, fruit juice, cider and crushed apples). Several studies on apple fruit metabolites are available, with most of them focusing on their healthy properties’ evaluation. In general, the metabolic profile of apple fruits strongly correlates with most of their peculiar characteristics, such as taste, flavor and color. At the same time, many bioactive molecules could be identified as markers of a specific apple variety. Therefore, a complete description of the analytical protocols commonly used for apple metabolites’ characterization and quantification could be useful for researchers involved in the identification of new phytochemical compounds from different apple varieties.
  • 2.5K
  • 07 Jul 2021
Topic Review
Mangrove Blue Carbon Stocks
Mangrove forests play an important role in mitigating climate change but are threatened by aquaculture expansion (shrimp ponds). The change of land use from natural environments to productive uses, generates a change in the balance and carbon sequestration and storaging. In mangrove forest the carbon stocks are larger than in other tropical forest. Addtionally, soil mangrove forest represent 40-80% of Cardon stocks.  These reasons are the evidence of mangrove forest need to be included in REED programs and conservation strategies.
  • 1.8K
  • 06 Jul 2021
Topic Review
Net Zero Energy Buildings
Buildings contribute to greenhouse gas emissions that cause environmental impacts on climate change. Net Zero Energy (NZ) buildings would reduce greenhouse gases. The current definition of NZ lacks consensus and has created uncertainties, which cause delays in the adoption of NZ. There is a need to re-evaluate the existing definitions, standards, and requirements to advance the use of renewable technologies, improved energy efficiency, and electrification. This approach will help to speed up achieving the NZ targets.
  • 1.7K
  • 06 Jul 2021
Topic Review
Radiological Investigation of French Fossils
The accurate investigation of uranium-containing fossils in a museum of the City of Basel showed the following crucial points: 1 Storage of uranium-containing minerals or fossils may lead to elevated radon exposures for the staff. The monitoring of the room air is recommended: Eventual taken measures will reduce the exposure to radon (permanent air ventilation, airtight storage of contaminated objects). 2 The handling and preparation of such contaminated objects may lead to significant doses by inhalation of radioactive dust. Such work should not be envisaged without special precautions. These could be wearing protective mask and gloves, working in a clean-bench.
  • 1.5K
  • 04 Jul 2021
Topic Review
Radioactivity in Plastic Materials
All fossil combustible materials, such as coal and crude oil, contain radioactive elements, which origin from the natural decay series of uranium and thorium. The basic material for the synthesis of plastics is crude oil. Therefore, plastics may contain radionuclides. The gamma ray analysis of different rubbish bags used in the city of Basel show a clear contamination with uranium, radium (226Ra and 228Ra) and lead (210Pb), resulting in a yearly charge of 300, 300, 150 and 3,000 MBq each. In comparison with the contamination level of the burning ashes, these charges are not relevant (less than 1% of the content in the slags from the waste incineration). Nonetheless, we note a permanent displacement of long-lived natural radionuclides to landfill-sites.
  • 2.9K
  • 05 Jul 2021
Topic Review
Sediment load of River Birs-System
In 2015, the environmental laboratories of the cantons of Berne, Jura, Basel-Country and Basel-City, started a coordinated monitoring of the sediments of the River Birs and its major Affluents. In general, stannane concentrations in the sediments of the river Birs and its major tributaries were low and well below any target values. The sediments of the tributaries Lucelle and Lüssel showed slightly elevated concentrations for monobutyl-tin, and the sediments of the rivulet Chaluet for dibutyl-tin compounds. The same stannane groups were also elevated in the sediments of the river Birs at Birsfelden, above the confluence with the Rhine. Tri-substituted tin compounds were below the detection limit in the entire catchment. The catchment area of the river Birs is free of any nuclear industry and of industries dealing with radioactive materials. Therefore, our investigations showed the “normal” background contamination with artificial radionuclides, including the global fallout and the Chernobyl fallout. The found activities are well below the immission limits.
  • 1.3K
  • 05 Jul 2021
Topic Review
Saproxylic Beetles
Saproxylic beetles are dependent on dead wood at any stage of their own development and at any stage of wood decomposition e.g. mycetophages on wood-decay fungi. This group of saproxylic beetles has become a frequently used as a bioindicator of forest biodiversity.
  • 2.3K
  • 03 Jul 2021
Topic Review
NATURAL CLINOPTILOLITE CHARACTERIZATION BY SEM
Clinoptilolite is the most common natural zeolite type. Owing to the very convenient Si/Al ratio, which characterizes this type of zeolite, it can be used for the fabrication of impedimetric water sensors, useful for example for breath rate mesurament and development of low-cost spirometers. The clinoptilolite adsorption properties are related to the large surface development due to the mesoporous structure. The clinoptilolite mesoporosity is a consequence of the unique lamellar texture of this mineral. The clinoptilolite lamellar texture cannot be observed by microscopical techniques like optical microscopy (OM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) without adequate sample preparation. Here, a very simple approach to delaminate the clinoptilolite mineral, based on the application of an impulsed compressive stress (hammer), has been used to separate the clinoptilolite single crystals and scanning electron microscopy has been used to visualize and to measure the clinoptilolite crystals.
  • 3.3K
  • 05 Jul 2021
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