In 2013 several scientific activities have been devoted to mathematical researches for the study of planet Earth. The current volume presents a selection of the highly topical issues presented at the workshop "Mathematical Models and Methods for Planet Earth", held in Roma (Italy), in May 2013. The fields of interest span from impacts of dangerous asteroids to the safeguard from space debris, from climatic changes to monitoring geological events, from the study of tumor growth to sociological problems. In all these fields the mathematical studies play a relevant role as a tool for the analysis of specific topics and as an ingredient of multidisciplinary problems. To investigate these problems we will see many different mathematical tools at work: just to mention some, stochastic processes, PDE, normal forms, chaos theory.

This book demonstrates the usefulness of NMR spectroscopy for a wide variety of applications in environmental science and technology. The book contains a wealth of information relating to instrumentation, sample preparation, and data interpretation. It is divided into three sections discussing contaminant interaction, solution and condensed phase characterization, and nutrients and natural organic matter characterization. In addition to these in-depth chapters, an introductory overview provides the basic principles of solution and solid-state NMR spectroscopy. Each section also contains a discussion of advances in each area directly attributable to NMR spectroscopy. A final chapter suggests future directions for the deployment of this powerful technology in environmental science.

Water scarcity affects hydrologic resources, systems connectivity, biodiversity, water quality, and river ecosystem functioning. It has direct impacts on economic sectors that use and depend on water, such as agriculture, tourism, industry, energy and transport. The Mediterranean Basin is one of the regions in the world most vulnerable to climate changes, as well as one of the most impacted by human water demand. This volume provides an in-depth view of the water quality and quantity implications of water scarcity. It highlights its possible causes and describes the effects in regions under Mediterranean climate. The topics covered include climate effects, water resources (use, storage and new sources), water quality (chemical and microbiological), and the effects on ecosystems suffering from water scarcity. This book is addressed to scientists and students, but also to managers involved in the necessary decision making process to face future periods of drought.

Science and politics are closely connected in today's global environmental issues. This book focuses on these links in relation to climate change, the threats to wildlife species, and natural hazards and disasters. Close study of these links of these reveals the need for more effective international cooperation and the limits of global governance.

The chapters in this book present a snapshot of the state of knowledge of air pollution effects at the beginning of the 21st century. From their different disciplines, a distinguished collection of authors document their understanding of how leaves, trees, and forests respond to air pollutants and climate change. Scenarios of global change and air pollution are described. The authors describe responses of forests to climate variability, tropospheric ozone, rising atmospheric CO2, the combination of CO2 and ozone, and deposition of acidic compounds and heavy metals. The responses to ozone receive particular attention because of increasing concern about its damaging effects and increasing concentrations in rural areas. Scaling issues are addressed - from leaves to trees, from juvenile trees to mature trees, from short-term responses to long-term responses, and from small-scale experiments and observations to large-scale forest ecosystems.

This book is one major product of a conference sponsored by the International Union of Forestry Research Organizations, the USDA Forest Service Global Change Northern Stations Program, the Arthur Ross Foundation, NCASI, the Canadian Forest Service, and Michigan Technological University. The conference, held in May 2000 in Houghton, Michigan, USA, was appropriately titled "Air Pollution, Global Change, and Forests in the New Millennium." The Editors, David Karnosky, Kevin Percy, Art Chappelka, Caroline Simpson, and Janet Pikkarainen organized the conference and edited this book.

Poor land management has degraded vast amounts of land, reduced our ability to produce enough food, and is a major threat to rural livelihoods in many developing countries. This book provides a thorough analysis of the multifaceted impacts of land use on soils. Abundantly illustrated with full-color images, it brings together renowned academics and policy experts to analyze the patterns, driving factors and proximate causes, and the socioeconomic impacts of soil degradation.

This book focuses on the phenomenon of sediment erosion and resuspension in the Yellow River delta, China, which is a vital issue involved in understanding the sediment transport processes in estuarine and coastal environments, and how these contribute to the nature and distribution of geohazards in the subaqueous Yellow River delta and Bohai Sea. The most important sections of this book will be the detailed physical mechanisms and theoretical models of sediment erosion and resuspension problem fully considering the wave-induced seabed dynamic response to waves, which are particularly useful for postgraduate students and junior researchers entering the discipline of estuary and coastal sedimentation, marine geotechnical engineering, estuary and coastal engineering, harbor and waterway engineering and coastal environmental protection. This book can also serve as a textbook for advanced graduate students of Marine Engineering Geology and Estuarine Sediment Dynamics.

This book introduces the companion modelling approach by presenting the stance that underpins it, the methods and tools used with stakeholders and the specific role of models during the process. It addresses the means to deal with the different levels of decision-making and to take into account the various power relationships. It proposes a methodology to assess the impact of the approach on the stakeholders involved in the process.

The book includes 27 case studies and 7 teaching tools that describe the successful use of the approach in a variety of settings or teaching contexts. It is intended for researchers working on rural development or renewable resources management, as well as students and teachers.

This book is divided into four parts. The first part, Preliminaries, begins by introducing the basic theme of the book. It provides an overview of the current status of water resources utilization, the likely scenario of future demands, and advantages and disadvantages of systems techniques. An understanding of how the hydrological data are measured and processed is important before undertaking any analysis. The discussion is extended to emerging techniques, such as Remote Sensing, GIS, Artificial Neural Networks, and Expert Systems. The statistical tools for data analysis including commonly used probability distributions, parameter estimation, regression and correlation, frequency analysis, and time-series analysis are discussed in a separate chapter.

Part 2 Decision Making, is a bouquet of techniques organized in 4 chapters. After discussing optimization and simulation, the techniques of economic analysis are covered. Recently, environmental and social aspects, and rehabilitation and resettlement of project-affected people have come to occupy a central stage in water resources management and any good book is incomplete unless these topics are adequately covered. The concept of rational decision making along with risk, reliability, and uncertainty aspects form subject matter of a chapter. With these analytical tools, the practitioner is well equipped to take a rational decision for water resources utilization.

Part 3 deals with Water Resources Planning and Development. This part discusses the concepts of planning, the planning process, integrated planning, public involvement, and reservoir sizing.

The last part focuses on Systems Operation and Management. After a resource is developed, it is essential to manage it in the best possible way. Many dams around the world are losing some storage capacity every year due to sedimentation and therefore, the assessment and management of reservoir sedimentation is described in details. No analysis of water resources systems is complete without consideration of water quality. A river basin is the natural unit in which water occurs. The final chapter discusses various issues related to holistic management of a river basin.

With the increasingly important requirement for textile manufacturers to reduce pollution in textile production, the use of enzymes in the chemical processing of fibres and textiles is rapidly gaining wider recognition because of their non-toxic and eco-friendly characteristics. They can be safely used in a wide selection of textile processes such as de-sizing, scouring, bleaching, dyeing and finishing, where the alternatives are very harsh chemicals whose disposal into the environment causes many problems.
Textile processing with enzymes aims to provide the textile technologist with an understanding of enzymes and their use with textile materials and in process engineering. It covers all the relevant aspects of textile processing with enzymes, from the chemical constitution and properties of textile materials as potential substrates for enzymes, to the processing of these materials; from basic biochemistry and enzymology to the industrial application of these biocatalysts.
The introductory chapter contains an historic overview of the subject, followed by an overview of the fundamental aspects of enzymes determining catalytic properties. There is also a review of non-fibrous materials as substrates for enzymes. Chapter four covers catalysis and processing; providing an analysis of the function and application of enzymes used in textile processing. The fifth chapter offers important insights in process engineering and describes major problems of industrial applications of enzymes in textiles. Chapter six discusses practical aspects of handling with enzymes. Enzyme stabilities, operational and storage stabilities are discussed in detail along with health and safety issues. The final chapter deals with the potential of enzymes in textile effluent treatment.
It is a valuable resource for anyone interested in the use of enzymes in textiles including textile students, scientists and engineers with a background in textiles, biotechnology, chemistry and process engineering.
Aims to provide the textile technologist with an understanding of enzymes and their use with textile materials and in process engineeringCovers the relevant aspects of textile processing with enzymes, from the chemical constitution and properties of textile materials as potential substrates for enzymes, to the processing of these materialsOutlines the benefits of using enzymes in the chemical processing of fibres and textiles thanks to their non-toxic and eco-friendly characteristics

Volume 3: Engineering Modeling and Sustainability. This 3-volume reference presents the latest findings in impact assessment of recycled hazardous waste materials on surface and ground waters. Topics covered include chemodynamics, toxicology, modeling and information systems. The book serves as a practical guide for the monitoring, design, management, or conduct of environmental impact assessment. Each volume contains the table of contents of all volumes.

An understanding of the fate and behaviour of organic chemicals, such as surfactants, in the environment is a prerequisite for the sustainable development of human health and ecosystems. As surfactants are being produced in huge amounts, it is important to have a detailed knowledge about their lifetime in the environment, their biodegradability in wastewater treatment plants and in natural waters, and their ecotoxicity. Parameters relevant for the assessment of long-term behaviour, such as interactions with hormonal systems need to be understood to avoid unexpected adverse effects to future generations of people and the environment. However, the identification and quantification of commercial surfactants in the environment is made more complicated and cumbersome because they comprise of tens to hundreds of homologues, oligomers and isomers of anionic, nonionic, cationic and amphoteric compounds.
The EU-funded PRISTINE project (Priority surfactants and their toxic metabolites in wastewater effluents: An integrated study; ENV4-CT97-0494) provides the basis for the content of this title. It provides policy makers and industry with detailed information on analysis and concentrations of surfactants and their degradation products in the environment.
In addition to a general introduction to surfactants, this book comprises a comprehensive variety of analytical techniques, including sample handling, for the analysis of surfactants in the aquatic environment. Readers will find all the necessary information for analyzing the different groups of surfactants, with special emphasis on transformation products. Quality assurance is also reported on in detail. Chapters on toxicity and risk assessment are also included and give a complete perspective on the surfactants problem in the aquatic environment.
.Presents the finding of EU-funded research into fate and behaviour of organic chemicals in the environment
.Comprises a comprehensive variety of analytical techniques, including sample handling, for the analysis of surfactants in the aquatic environment
.Provides relevant information to all groups working in the field of surfactants"

Reviews of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology attempts to provide concise, critical reviews of timely advances, philosophy and significant areas of accomplished or needed endeavor in the total field of xenobiotics, in any segment of the environment, as well as toxicological implications.

'Access to safe water is a fundamental human need and therefore a basic human right' "Kofi Annan, United Nations Secretary General"
Edited by two world-renowned scientists in the field, The Handbook of Water and Wastewater Microbiology provides a definitive and comprehensive coverage of water and wastewater microbiology. With contributions from experts from around the world, this book gives a global perspective on the important issues faced in the provision of safe drinking water, the problems of dealing with aquatic pollution and the processes involved in wastewater management.
Starting with an introductory chapter of basic microbiological principles, The Handbook of Water and Wastewater Microbiology develops these principles further, ensuring that this is the essential text for process engineers with little microbiological experience and specialist microbiologists alike.
Comprehensive selection of reviews dealing with drinking water and aquatic pollution
Provides an understading of basic microbiology and how it is applied to engineering process solutions
Suitable for all levels of knowledge in microbiology -from those with no background to specialists who require the depth of information

Magnetic nanocatalysts are becoming an important tool for greener catalytic processes in chemical transformations in view of the ease of their removal from a reaction medium. This book explores assorted magnetic nanocatalysts, their deployment in synthesis, chemical transformation and their recovery and reuse. Various thematic topics embodied include magnetic nanocatalysts for S-S bond formation, N-heterocycle formation, C-heteroatom bond formation, silica-supported catalysts, multicomponent reactions, including their recyclability; another available volume emphasizes the utility of magnetic nanocatalysts in industrial appliances.

This book takes stock of micro irrigation systems (MIS), the technological intervention in India's agricultural and water management sectors, over the past couple of decades. Based on empirical research from the major agriculturally dynamic states, viz., Gujarat, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka, the book provides a nuanced understanding and objective assessment of the implementation and adoption of MIS across these states. It addresses several of the questions related to adoption and impacts of MIS in India. On the adoption side, the key question that the book addresses is which segment of the farming community adopts MIS across states? The impacts analysed include those on physical, agronomic and economic aspects. At the macro level, the question being asked is about the future potential of MIS in terms of saving water from agriculture and making more water available for environment. The book also addresses the question of the positive/negative externalities and real social benefits and costs from the use of MIS, a major justification for heavy capital subsidies for its purchase by farmers. It also brings out certain critical concerns pertaining to MIS adoption, which need to be addressed through more empirical research based on longitudinal panel/ cross sectional data. The book would be of great use to researchers (agricultural water management, irrigation economics), students of water resource engineering, irrigation engineering and water resources management, as well as to policy makers and agricultural water management experts - national and international.

Implementing the Circular Economy for Sustainable Development presents the concept of the circular economy with the goal of understanding its present status and how to better implement it, particularly through environmental policies. It first tackles the definition of a circular economy in the context of sustainability and the differences in defining the concept across disciplines, including its fallibilities and practical examples. It then goes on to discuss the implementation of a circular economy, including the increasing variety of technological, mechanical, and chemical procedures to contend with and the need for stakeholder support in addition to improved business models. The second half of the book, therefore, presents tools, approaches, and practical examples of how to shape environmental policy to successfully implement a circular economy. It analyzes deficiencies of current regulations and lays the groundwork for the design of integrated environmental policies for a circular economy. Authored by an expert in environmental economics with decades of experience, Implementing the Circular Economy for Sustainable Development is a timely, practical guide for sustainability researchers and policymakers alike to move more efficiently toward a circular economy and sustainable development.

which successfully passed the QA-process (i.e., met the Data Quality Objectices) were included into the TFS-central data bank. The following summary of major results obtained in TFS would not have been possible without the contribution of many experimentalists and modellers participating in this project. I would like to thank these colleagues for their support. All participants are grateful for the financial support by the BMBF and for the assistance by the Projekttragerschaft (UKF-GSF-Miinchen). Garmisch-Partenkirchen, WOLFGANG SEILER February 2002 DEVELOPMENT AND APPLICATION OF A MESOSCALE MODEL HIERARCHY FOR THE DIAGNOSIS AND FORECAST OF THE DISTRIBUTION OF POLLUTANTS OVER GERMANY AND EUROPE Journal of Atmospheric Chemistry 42: 5-22, 2002. 5 (c) 2002 Kluwer Academic Publishers. An Empirical, Receptor-Based Procedure for Assessing the Effect of Different Ozone Mitigation Strategies WOLFGANG FRICKE, WINFRIED VANDERSEE and STEFAN GILGE Deutscher Wetterdienst, Meteorologisches Observatorium, Albin-Schwaiger-Weg 10, D-82383 Hohenpeissenberg, Germany, e-mail: [email protected] (Received: 6 November 2000; in final form: 29 May 2(01) Abstract. The paper presents a new receptor-based approach for investigating the effect of differ- ent mitigation strategies on surface ozone concentrations. The empirical approach relates measured ozone concentrations to 3-D back trajectories and European precursor emission data (NOx, VOC, isoprene). These are the only parameters used as input. Following a description of the method, results for two German stations, an urban and a rural mountain site, are described, and discussed in detail.

This book about the Mekong Delta presents a unique collection of state-of-the-art contributions by international experts from different scientific disciplines about the characteristics and pressing water-related challenges of the Mekong Delta in Vietnam. The Mekong Delta belongs to one of the areas, which are to expect the largest challenges concerning environmental change and climate change induced sea level rise . The Delta acts as the "rice bowl" of Southeast Asia and is home to over 17 Million people, who need to cope with ecologic as well as socio-economic changes linked to the rapid economic development of the country. Annual floods, severe droughts, salt water intrusion, degrading water quality, tropical cyclones, hydrologic changes due to hydropower projects in the upstream of the Mekong, coastal erosion, and the loss of biodiversity are some of the problems in the region. Heterogeneous resource management responsibilities, and the fact that the Mekong - and thus also the Delta - is influenced by six countries aggravate the situation. Integrated water resources management and fostered cooperation and information exchange are pressing needs for the sustainable development of the Delta.

Reviews of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology publishes authoritative reviews on the occurrence, effects, and fate of pesticide residues and other environmental contaminants. It will keep you informed of the latest significant issues by providing in-depth information in the areas of analytical chemistry, agricultural microbiology, biochemistry, human and veterinary medicine, toxicology, and food technology.

Building Safe Systems in Aviation provides a single source for those who need to progress beyond current models of Crew Resource Management (CRM) to developing safe systems in critical industries. Although the primary focus is on airline pilots, the principles apply to all sectors of aviation, particularly maintenance and cabin crew, as well as other high-risk industries. It systematically sets out the context of CRM and safe systems, the conduct of training, the resources needed by the facilitator and the processes required for the measurement of outcomes. Part One reviews the development of the human factors/CRM domain and examines the concepts of risk and safety. Part Two, primarily for new instructors, gives a guide to training delivery and also considers non-classroom situations, the role of debriefing, facilitation and the design of human factors courses. Part Three examines the measurement of training effectiveness, the design and implementation of behavioural markers and standardizing assessors. It concludes by looking at some of the broader issues associated with the management of CRM. The book's readership includes those who design, deliver or manage CRM and safety-related training within airlines and other companies.

Providing useful insights on the use of Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) in natural resource management, this book examines a number of empirical applications for several countries and a variety of natural resources. It is shown that using MCDA in the management of water, forestry, wetland and other natural resources can substantially improve the design and implementation of natural resource and environmental policies. Stakeholder involvement is also an important determinant of successful resource management and MCDA provides a useful and effective framework for getting stakeholders involved in resource management decisions. Using Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis in Natural Resource Management gives in-depth analysis of the potential problems in applying these techniques, including difficulties eliciting required information, lack of suitable measures for environmental variables and the need to develop innovative methods to simplify the use of MCDA.