Improved knowledge in the field of technical objects operation and control helps manufacturers to decrease energy consumption and keep construction costs low. Moreover, it helps dealing effectively with environmental problems and switching to renewable forms of energy on the path of sustainable development of the society. The methods and technologies presented in this book will allow to improve the effectiveness of technical objects control and helps achieving safe, economical, high-quality usage of power engineering and information technologies. The book presents recent advances in power engineering, electric drives, transport systems, power electronics, cybersecurity and others. Vital issues of innovative small vehicles with using hydrogen fuel as well as boring rigs and underwater hydraulic transport pipelines are considered. The book offers a fresh look at energy-saving and energy efficiency in industry, new ideas in information technologies, paying much attention to interdisciplinary specification of the results obtained.

The Congress "Arsenic in the Environment" offers an international, multi- and interdisciplinary discussion platform for research and innovation aimed towards a holistic solution to the problem posed by the environmental toxin arsenic, with considerable societal impact. The congress has focused on cutting edge and breakthrough research in physical, chemical, toxicological, medical, agricultural and other specific issues on arsenic across a broader environmental realm. The Congress "Arsenic in the Environment" was first organized in Mexico City (As2006) followed by As2008 in Valencia, Spain, As2010 in Tainan, Taiwan, As2012 in Cairns, Australia and As2014 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The 6th International Congress As2016 was held June 19-23, 2016 in Stockholm, Sweden and was entitled Arsenic Research and Global Sustainability. The Congress addressed the broader context of arsenic research along the following themes: Theme 1: Arsenic in Environmental Matrices and Interactions (Air, Water, Soil and Biological Matrices) Theme 2: Arsenic in Food Chain Theme 3: Arsenic and Health Theme 4: Clean Water Technology for Control of Arsenic Theme 5: Societal issues, Policy Studies, Mitigation and Management Long term exposure to low-to-medium levels of arsenic via contaminated food and drinking water can have a serious impact on human health and globally, more than 100 million people are at risk. Since the end of the 20th century, arsenic in drinking water (mainly groundwater) has emerged as a global health concern. In the past decade, the presence of arsenic in plant foods - especially rice - has gained increasing attention. In the Nordic countries in particular, the use of water-soluble inorganic arsenic chemicals (e.g. chromated copper arsenate, CCA) as wood preservatives and the mining of sulfidic ores have been flagged as health concern. The issue has been accentuated by discoveries of naturally occurring arsenic in groundwater, primarily in the private wells, in parts of the Fennoscandian Shield and in sedimentary formations, with potentially detrimental effects on public health. Sweden has been at the forefront of research on the health effects of arsenic, technological solutions for arsenic removal, and sustainable mitigation measures for developing countries. Hosting this Congress in Sweden was also relevant because historically Sweden has been one of the leading producer of As2O3 and its emission from the smelting industries in northern Sweden and has successfully implemented actions to reduce the industrial emissions of arsenic as well as minimizing the use of materials and products containing arsenic in since 1977. The Congress has gathered professionals involved in different segments of interdisciplinary research in an open forum, and strengthened relations between academia, industry, research laboratories, government agencies and the private sector to share an optimal atmosphere for exchange of knowledge, discoveries and discussions about the problem of arsenic in the environment and catalyze the knowledge generation and innovations at a policy context to achieve the goals for post 2015 Sustainable Development.

Coast lines have been and still are the centre lines of civilization around the world with still increasing pressure from both sides, the hinterland and the sea, with all its foreseeable and unforeseeable impacts given by nature or mankind. While response of nature to such impacts is flexible in the way that all morphological changes with all the consequences are tolerated as part of the system, man cannot tolerate short-term or long-term changes without being threatened in its physical and economical existence. The objectives of this Advanced Research Workshop (ARW) on Environmentally Friendly Coastal Structures were:

- to contribute to the critical assessment of existing knowledge in the field of coastal and environmental protection;

- to identify directions for future research in that area;

- to promote close working relationships between scientists from different countries and with different professional experience.

Latest trends in research in coastal and environmental protection have been summarized and developed during the meeting. Seventeen papers are presented in this book, attempting to cover as completely as possible all related aspects a" coast, engineering structures, water, sediments, ecosystems in their complicated interaction.

Emission inventory is basic for the understanding of environmental behaviors and potential effects of compounds, however, current inventories are often associated with relatively high uncertainties. One important reason is the lack of emission factors (EFs), especially for the residential solid fuel combustion in developing countries. In the present study, emission factors of a group of pollutants including particulate matter, organic carbon, elemental carbon (sometimes known as black carbon) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons were measured for a variety of residential solid fuels including coal, crop straw, wood, and biomass pellets in rural China. The study provided a large number of emission factors that can be further used in emission estimation. Composition profiles and isomer ratios were investigated and compared so as to be used in source apportionment. In addition, the present study identified and quantified the influence of factors like fuel moisture, volatile matter on emission performance. The publication of the study will be of interest and helpful to the readers in the field of air pollution, human health, fuel saving and energy consumption etc. Guofeng Shen works at the Institute of Atmospheric Sciences, Jiangsu Academy of Environmental Sciences, China.

With remarkable vision, Prof. Otto Hutzinger initiated The Handbook of Envir- mental Chemistry in 1980 and became the founding Editor-in-Chief. At that time, environmental chemistry was an emerging ?eld, aiming at a complete description of the Earth's environment, encompassing the physical, chemical, biological, and geological transformations of chemical substances occurring on a local as well as a global scale. Environmental chemistry was intended to provide an account of the impact of man's activities on the natural environment by describing observed changes. While a considerable amount of knowledge has been accumulated over the last three decades, as re?ected in the more than 70 volumes of The Handbook of Environmental Chemistry, there are still many scienti?c and policy challenges ahead due to the complexity and interdisciplinary nature of the ?eld. The series will therefore continue to provide compilations of current knowledge. Contri- tions are written by leading experts with practical experience in their ?elds. The Handbook of Environmental Chemistry grows with the increases in our scienti?c understanding, and provides a valuable source not only for scientists but also for environmental managers and decision-makers. Today, the series covers a broad range of environmental topics from a chemical perspective, including methodol- ical advances in environmental analytical chemistry.

This book explores a new framework of Adaptive Water Management (AWM) for evaluating existing approaches in urban water management. It highlights the need to adopt multidisciplinary strategies in water management while providing an in-depth understanding of institutional interactions amongst different water related sectors. The key characteristics of AWM i.e. polycentric governance, organisational flexibility and public participation are investigated and described through a critical review of the relevant literature. The book presents an empirical case study undertaken in a selected developing-country city to investigate the potential gaps between the current water management approaches and possible implementation of AWM. Feasibility of AWM operations is examined in an environment surrounded by established water management structure with centralised governance and an institutional process based on technical flexibility. The key elements of AWM performance are (re)structured and transformed into decision support systems. Multi criteria decision models are developed to facilitate quantification and visualization of the elements derived from the case study, which is involved with water companies and water consumers. The book describes how the concept of AWM, along with structuring suitable decision support systems, can be developed and applied to developing-country cities. The book highlights the barriers for applying the AWM strategies that include established centralised decision making, bureaucratic interactions with external organisations, lack of organisational flexibility within the institutions, and lack of recognition of public role in water management. The findings outline that despite the lack of adaptability in the current water management in the case study, as an example of developing countries, there are positive attitudes among water professionals and the public towards adaptability through public-institutional participation.

The Nirma University International Conference on Engineering NUiCONE is a flagship event of the Institute of Technology, Nirma University, Ahmedabad. NUiCONE-2015 is focussed on events/themes in the current trends in Engineering and its research issues. Practicing engineers, technologists and technopreneurs from the industry will engage in special knowledge sharing sessions using applied technical papers by industry participants on case-study applications, white-papers, panel discussions, industrial exhibitions of innovations and technology products etc. This proceedings book includes peer reviewed and presented research papers by research scholars and professionals from academia, industry and government R&D organizations. The papers included in this proceedings volume present unpublished research of participating researchers related to some specific multi-disciplinary themes addressing sustainable engineering fields like Sustainable Manufacturing Processes; Design and Analysis of Machine & Mechanisms; Energy Conservation and Management; Concrete and Structural Engineering; Infrastructure Project Planning and Management; Chemical Process Development and Design; and Technologies for Green Environment.

Central Asia is vulnerable to water scarcity because it is located in semiarid and arid vegetation zones and large parts of its economy depend on water for irrigation and energy. Climate-change scenarios predict temperature increases and a rising number of extreme weather events, which will exacerbate water shortages in the future. In addition, the population of Central Asia is growing more rapidly than the rate of food production which is resulting in food insecurity in many parts of the region too. This volume reports the deliberations of politicians, scientists and representatives of water management organizations from throughout Central Asia. Their contributions not only highlight areas of concern, but also propose numerous ideas for improving the long-term water- and food security in the region.

This book presents new concepts as well as practical applications and experiences in the field of information technology for environmental engineering. The book has three main focus areas: firstly, it shows how information technologies can be employed to support natural resource management and conservation, environmental engineering, scientific simulation and integrated assessment studies. Secondly, it demonstrates the application of computing in the everyday practices of environmental engineers, natural scientists, economists and social scientists. And thirdly, it demonstrates how the complexity of natural phenomena can be approached using interdisciplinary methods, where computer science offers the infrastructure needed for environmental data collection and management, scientific simulations, decision support documentation and reporting.The book collects selected papers presented at the 7th International Symposium on Environmental Engineering, held in Port Elizabeth, South Africa in July 2015. It discusses recent success stories in eco-informatics, promising ideas and new challenges from the interdisciplinary viewpoints of computer scientists, environmental engineers, economists and social scientists, demonstrating new paradigms for problem-solving and decision-making.

The key novelty of this book is first of all in the successful attempt to conduct jointly modeling of environment in terms of physical environment related parameters and measuring similar parameters by means of multispectral remote sensing, primarily by means of passive microwave remote sensing technology. Another new step is in the development and utilization of a multilevel approach which includes remote sensing of the land and water parameters like soil moisture, depth to water table, biomass of vegetation, temperature and salinity of water, in situ measurements of similar parameters and incorporation of GIS and data sets into the models of typical environments. The part of book, which contains remote sensing is focused on multipurpose observations from aircraft obtained in many soil-climatic zones in different countries and is reach of the examples of practical application. Applied mathematicians, geophysics, hydrologists, socio-economists, statesmans and other researchers of environmental changes will find a wealth of information and ideas in this book.

This book tells the story of the power generation gas turbine from the perspective of one of the leading companies in the field over a period of nearly 100 years, written by an engineer. Especially in times of imminent global economic crises it appears to be worthwhile to reflect on real economic values based on engineering ingenuity and enduring management of technological leadership. Though the book is primarily designed as a technical history of the BBC/ABB/Alstom power generation gas turbines, its scope is sufficiently broad to cover general development trends, including parallel competitor activities. A special benefit is the historical breakdown to the gas turbine component level, so that the book actually outlines the development of axial compressors from early beginnings, the progress in combustion technology towards extraordinary low emission values and that of axial turbines with special emphasis on early turbine cooling innovations. The sheer length of certain engineering developments over several decades allows interesting historic observations and deductions on inherent business mechanisms, the effects of technology preparations and organisational consequences. A look into the mirror of the past provides revelations on the impact of far-reaching business decisions. 2017 Winner of the Historian Engineer Award of the ASME (American Society of Mechanical Engineers

This volume describes what is arguably the first and only valuation study to meet in full the reference study standards set by NOAA's Blue Ribbon Panel on Contingent Valuation. This book documents a contingent valuation study for a generic environmental good: preventing the likely injuries from oil spills on the coast of Central California. It provides a wealth of materials which will reduce the long lead time which characterizes most economic damage assessments. This is achieved by so richly documenting the design, administration, and analysis of such studies as to be effectively a 'how-to' guide for undertaking state-of-the-art contingent valuation studies. The book is supported by a CD-ROM containing a wealth of additional material, including data, questionnaires, and transcripts. Together, they constitute a unique and vital contribution to the literature concerning the valuation of non-market preferences.

This book addresses the synthesis of photosensitizers, the main emphasis being on the new methods of synthesis such as microwave, sonochemistry and the use of ionic liquids. It also addresses the photochemistry and photophysics of the photosensitizers alone and in combination with nanoparticles, the use of the photosensitizers in environmental control, safety and medicine. It discusses the common structures of the photosensitizers which are beneficial to these applications.

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This book focuses on the development of wellness protocols for smart home monitoring, aiming to forecast the wellness of individuals living in ambient assisted living (AAL) environments. It describes in detail the design and implementation of heterogeneous wireless sensors and networks as applied to data mining and machine learning, which the protocols are based on. Further, it shows how these sensor and actuator nodes are deployed in the home environment, generating real-time data on object usage and other movements inside the home, and therefore demonstrates that the protocols have proven to offer a reliable, efficient, flexible, and economical solution for smart home systems. Documenting the approach from sensor to decision making and information generation, the book addresses various issues concerning interference mitigation, errors, security and large data handling. As such, it offers a valuable resource for researchers, students and practitioners interested in interdisciplinary studies at the intersection of wireless sensing processing, radio communication, the Internet of Things and machine learning, and in how they can be applied to smart home monitoring and assisted living environments.

This edited volume presents new data and insights from the most internationally respected PGE experts, representing a variety of disciplines ranging from chemistry, geochemistry, biology, environmental science to toxicology and environmental health. It builds upon three previous co-edited books published by Springer, Zereini and Alt (Eds.) (1999, 2000 and 2006), incorporating the most recent advances on the topic. The book covers the following topical areas related to PGE: sources and applications, analytical methods, environmental fate, bioavailability and chemical behaviour, use of bioindicators and human exposures and health risk potential. Highly interdisciplinary in orientation, this book is a comprehensive guide to academics, students and professionals working in a number of different scientific fields, who are interested in topics related to platinum metal emissions in the environment.

The 5th volume of Green Chemical Processing considers sustainable chemistry in the context of governmental and corporate interests, explaining how "red tape" can help or hinder the "greening" of industry processes. The American Chemical Society's 12 Principles of Green Chemistry are woven throughout this text as well as the series to which this book belongs.

This book presents the latest developments and recent research trends in the field of plankton, highlighting the potential ecological and biotechnological applications. It critically and comprehensively discusses strain selection, growth characteristics, large-scale culturing, and biomass harvesting, focusing on the screening and production of high-value products from algae, and evaluating carbon dioxide sequestration from fuel gas as a climate change mitigation strategy. The latter areas of research are clearly central to the sustainable development approach that is currently attracting global attention. Over the decades, much of the literature on has focused on the biological and ecological aspects of phytoplankton found in freshwater, marine and brackish water environments. However, these organisms are known to also inhabit various other environments. More recently, there has been a substantial shift toward the concept of sustainable development and the "green economy" with emphasis on exploiting biological systems for the benefit of mankind. The significance of these plankton cannot be underestimated as they contribute approximately 40% of the oxygen in the atmosphere. Therefore, there is potential for exploitation of this invaluable biomass source that could lead to significant environmental and economic benefits for man. Providing a comprehensive outline of the most recent developments and advances in the field of industrial applications of these plankton, this book is an excellent reference resource for researchers and practitioners.

sector. This ensured eventual transfer of the technology demonstrated at the wo- shops and Technical Meetings to marketable devices. BIOSET provided assistance for researchers from European laboratories to meet to exchange ideas, use equ- ment, and establish a basis for new joint projects. The secretariat of the Concerted Action BIOSET supported the Technical Meetings. There were three Technical Meetings held, two in Berlin in 1997 and 1998, and the third in Barcelona, in April 2000. The goal of these technical meetings was to join different research and industrial teams to evaluate the performance of their biosensor technology in field conditions with common and standardized surface and waste waters. As a result of these field experiments, the additional information that biosensors can offer to environmental monitoring was also evaluated. Thus, these three Technical Meetings were useful accompanying measures and practical additions to the currently organized yearly workshops. The concerted action BIOSET was f- lowed by the SENSPOL network. The 1st SENSPOL Workshop was held on the 9-11 May 2001 on Sensing Technologies for Contaminated Sites and Groundwater at the University of Alcala. There was one special Workshop on "Genotoxicity Biosensing (TECHNOTOX)" supported by the European Commission DG XII D-1 and BIOSET in the year 2000. The TECHNOTOX meeting at the Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO) in Mol was organized by Phillippe Corbisier (VITO), Peter-D. Hansen (TU Berlin) and Damia Barcelo (CSIC Barcelona).