Environmental Fate and Safety Management of Agrochemicals discusses residue analysis, environmental fate and safety management, environmental risk assessment, metabolism, resistance and management, and advances in formulation and application technology from the academic, government, and industry perspective.
Meaningful ecological and environmental risk assessment of pest control agents is possible only when accurate and credible metabolic and environmental fate data is available. The advent of affordable and sensitive liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC/MS) has greatly increased our ability to detect environmentally relevant metabolites and degradation products following the application of these materials. Furthermore, ecological risk assessment and monitoring of pesticide resistance in field populations has become more feasible and cost effective by employing hig-hroughout molecular diagnostic techniques on the genetic leve3l and LC/MS techniques on the proteomic and meabolomic levels.
Efficient formulations and application technologies have greatly reduced the amount of materials that are required to achieve effective pest control and hence reduce their ecological and environmental impacts. Controlled release, stabilization and dispersion technologies have provided the pest manager with new tools that allow them to use necessary pest control options in "best management strategies."

Water is the most crucial material for human survival, after air. Without water, life would not be possible. It is important to know how much water is available to us and how much water is polluted. We need to monitor pollutants vigorously, both at point and nonpoint sources, using advanced analytical techniques that can monitor ultra-trace amounts of contaminants. Water reclamation is an absolute necessity today because we have contaminated our surface water, and even groundwater in some cases, to a point that it is not clean enough for drinking or cooking. Most importantly, water must be used judiciously, and equal treatment must be paid to the reclamation and treatment of contaminated water. This book provides information on various global water challenges and solutions. We face many water challenges in terms of availability, quality, and sustainability (Chapter 1). There is an urgent need to find ways to make water more sustainable. To achieve this objective, we will have to address scientific, technical, economic, and social issues.

The book gives an overview of the current state-of-the-art concerning the activation and dissolution of cellulose in a broad variety of solvents. Research on this topic can lead to new pathways for the utilization of the most abundant terrestrial biomolecule and may therefore be the basis for new green strategies towards advanced materials. Leading scientists in the field show different conceptions for the solubilization of cellulose. The long history and groundbreaking developments in the field of polymer chemistry, which are related to this subject, have lead to timely alternatives to already established methods. In addition to discussing attempts for the optimization of known dissolving procedures, this book also details new solvent systems. New solvents include inorganic and organic salt melts (ionic liquids), new aqueous media, multi-component organic solvents and the dissolution under partial derivatization of the polysaccharide. The opportunities and the limitations of the solvents are demonstrated, with a particular emphasis on the stability of the solutions and a possible recycling of the solvent components.
This book illustrates that the new procedures for cellulose dissolution can lead to a huge number of unconventional superstructures of regenerated cellulose material, such as fibers and polymer layers with a thickness in the nanometer range or aerogels, i.e. regenerates with a highly porous character and a large surface. Moreover, cellulose blends can be generated via solutions. The book also contains chapters that show the amazing potential of solvents for defined modification reactions on the cellulose backbone. On one hand, it is possible to synthesize known cellulose derivatives with new substitution patterns both on the basis of the repeating unit and along the polymer chain. On the other hand, completely new derivatives are presented which are hardly accessible via heterogeneous reactions. Consequently, the book is intended to give a comprehensive overview of procedures for dissolution of cellulose. It is of interest for scientists new in the field but is also a timely summary of trends for experts who are looking for new approaches for problems related to cellulose shaping or chemical modification.

One of the great challenges of the 21st century is that of sustainability. This book aims to provide examples of sustainability in a wide variety of chemical contexts, in hope of laying the groundwork for cross-divisional work that might be possible in the future to address the important issue of sustainability. In doing so, the editors look at both the questions chemistry is asking right now related to sustainability as well as the questions chemistry SHOULD be asking about sustainability. The world is facing interrelated global challenges of energy, food, water, and human health. Solving these daunting challenges will require global systems thinking and proactive local action. No ONE company, academic institution, non-profit or government agency can accomplish this task alone, but it starts with education at all levels. This book addresses the need for better chemical education on the subject of sustainability.

More than four decades have passed since surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) was discovered. In today's world SERS has been established as a plasmon-based spectroscopy with ultra-high sensitivity and versatility at the forefront of the developments in plasmonics. SERS has been developing with the advances in nanoscience and nanotechnology. The "SERS world" has grown up markedly for the last 20 years or so, and recently the wider concept of, plasmon-enhanced spectroscopy was born. Plasmon-enhanced spectroscopy contains not only SERS but also tip-enhanced Raman scattering (TERS), surface-enhanced infrared absorption (SEIRA), surface-enhanced fluorescence (SEF), and more. Through these novel spectroscopies various amazing properties of plasmons have become known, providing new exciting research fields. One of the main purposes of the book is to convey the enthusiastic discussion on plasmon-enhanced spectroscopy at the symposium to the scientific community. This book reports leading-edge advances in the theory of plasmonic enhancement and application of plasmon-enhanced spectroscopy to biology, chemistry, physics, materials science, and medicine. Many books have been published about SERS, but this may be the first time that a book on a wide area of plasmon-enhanced spectroscopy has ever been published. The book consists of two volumes; the second volume discusses TERS, SEIRA, and other topics related to plasmon-enhanced spectroscopy.

Gemstones have been a source of fascination for Millenia, from the icy brilliance of diamond and the soft iridescence of pearl, to the deep red garnets treasured by ancient Egyptians and Victorians alike. They are used for their natural beauty in jewellery, worn for protection as talismans, associated with romance and power. They are also of scientific importance, forming over billions of years and containing secrets to the inner earth. This book examines the world's most commonly encountered gemstones, exploring their unique beauty, rarity, and durability. It reveals how these gem materials formed, where they are mined, how they are identified by their physical and optical properties, their enhancements and imitations. Travelling through each gem's history and use in adornment, it is filled with fascinating facts for the curious to the professional. With sumptuous colour photographs, Gemstones is a dazzling insight into the world of the rare and valuable.