Water is the most valuable resource for all human development. With increasing global population the demand for water increases whereas the sources of clean water are decreasing. recycling and reuse of wastewater has become an imperative which demands the development of new, efficient and environmentally friendly treatment methods. Current Trends and Future Developments in (Bio-) Membranes: Recent Achievements in Wastewater and Water Treatments provides a comprehensive coverage of the existing wastewater treatment including, but not exclusively, membrane-based methods. The book presents most common used methods compares and evaluates them depending on their particular application. It illustrates many aspects of the various treatment systems used in water and wastewater purification and lists the advantages of membrane-based methods to non-membrane based technologies. This book focuses on introducing, applications, advantages/disadvantages, evaluating of membrane-based technologies and comparing it with other non-membrane based systems. It also analyses the various limitations of each method. Hence, the book is a key reference text for R&D managers in industry interested in the development of water/waste treatment technologies as well as academic researchers and postgraduate students working in the wider area of the strategic treatment, separation and purification processes.

This book focuses specifically on the environmental issues related to the air pollution control and design. It is divided into four parts: (1) Fundamentals of air pollution control, (2) fundamentals of energy utilization, (3) gaseous control and design, and (4) particulate control and design, each consisting of four to six chapters. The topics covered in this book not only introduce the basic concepts of air pollution control and design but also address the fundamentals of energy utilization in the context of good engineering practice and policy instruments. It also features several innovative technologies and integrated methodologies relating to gaseous and particulate matter control and design. To facilitate technology integration and meet the need for comprehensive information on sustainable development, the book discusses a wide range of areas concerning the principles, applications, and assessment of air pollution control and design and thermodynamics, heat transfer, advanced combustion and renewable energy for energy utilization. It also features regulations and policy instruments adopted around the globe as well as several case studies. Presenting the emerging challenges, new concepts, innovative methodologies, and resolving strategies, as well as illustrative and inspiring case studies, it appeals to a wide range of readers, such as researchers, graduate students, engineers, policy makers, and entrepreneurs.

Eco-cities and Green Transport presents a systematic, uniform, and structured way to examine different cities at different scales in order to suggest unique solutions appropriate to each scale. The book examines city infrastructure and the built environment, transport system supply and demand, and transport behavior to offer innovative policy solutions for various transport modes. With end of chapter experiences and lessons summarized, the book provides an in-depth analysis of the advantages and disadvantages for transforming cities and their transport systems to meet residents current and future needs. The increasingly rapid growth of global urbanization requires cities to be built in an ecologically sustainable, energy efficient, and livable way. A critical component in achieving these goals is an urban transportation system that uses natural resources as reasonably as possible. The outcome of a ten-year data collection research effort by the author and his team, the book sheds new insights into these challenges using a thorough investigation of traffic systems in 20 cities from 13 countries throughout Asia, Europe, and the United States.

The Material Basis of Energy Transitions explores the intersection between critical raw material provision and the energy system. Chapters draw on examples and case studies involving energy technologies (e.g., electric power, transport) and raw material provision (e.g., mining, recycling), and consider these in their regional and global contexts. The book critically discusses issues such as the notion of criticality in the context of a circular economy, approaches for estimating the need for raw materials, certification schemes for raw materials, the role of consumers, and the impact of renewable energy development on resource conflicts. Each chapter deals with a specific issue that characterizes the interdependency between critical raw materials and renewable energies by examining case studies from a particular conceptual perspective. The book is a resource for students and researchers from the social sciences, natural sciences, and engineering, as well as interdisciplinary scholars interested in the field of renewable energies, the circular economy, recycling, transport, and mining. The book is also of interest to policymakers in the fields of renewable energy, recycling, and mining, professionals from the energy and resource industries, as well as energy experts and consultants looking for an interdisciplinary assessment of critical materials.

Advances in Construction and Demolition Waste Recycling: Management, Processing and Environmental Assessment is divided over three parts. Part One focuses on the management of construction and demolition waste, including estimation of quantities and the use of BIM and GIS tools. Part Two reviews the processing of recycled aggregates, along with the performance of concrete mixtures using different types of recycled aggregates. Part Three looks at the environmental assessment of non-hazardous waste. This book will be a standard reference for civil engineers, structural engineers, architects and academic researchers working in the field of construction and demolition waste.

Pollution and ways to combat it have become topics of great concern for researchers. One of the most important dimensions of this global crisis is wastewater, which can often become contaminated with heavy metals such as lead, mercury, and arsenic, which are released from different industrial wastes, mines, and agricultural runoff. Bioremediation of such heavy metals has been extensively studied using different groups of bacteria, fungi, and algae, and has been considered as a safer, eco-friendly, and cost-effective option for mitigation of contaminated wasteland. The toxicity of water impacts all of society, and so it is of great importance that we understand the better, cleaner, and more efficient ways of treating water. Recent Advancements in Bioremediation of Metal Contaminants is a pivotal reference source that explores bioremediation of pollutants from industrial wastes and examines the role of diverse forms of microbes in bioremediation of wastewater. Covering a broad range of topics including microorganism tolerance, phytoremediation, and fungi, the role of different extremophiles and biofilms in bioremediation are also discussed. This book is ideally designed for environmentalists, engineers, policymakers, academicians, researchers, and students in the fields of microbiology, toxicology, environmental chemistry, and soil and water science.

The deterioration of water quality and unavailability of drinkable water are pressing challenges worldwide. The removal of toxic organic and inorganic pollutants from water is vital for a clean environment, as a response to water scarcity. Adsorption-based water technologies are among the most widely used because of their high efficiency and low cost, without relying on a complex infrastructure. In recent years, carbon nanomaterials (CNMs), such as graphene and derivatives, carbon nanotubes, carbon nanofibers, nanoporous carbon, fullerenes, graphitic carbon nitride, and nanodiamonds have been extensively exploited as adsorbents due to their extraordinary surface properties, ease of modification, large surface area, controlled structural varieties, high chemical stability, porosity, low density, ease of regeneration, and reusability. This book provides a thorough overview of the state of the art in carbon nanomaterials as they are used for adsorption applications in water purifications, as well as addressing their toxicological challenges. This volume primarily explores the fundamentals of adsorption, its mechanical aspects, synthesis and properties of CNMs, and adsorption performances of CNMs and their nanocomposites with organic and inorganic materials. Structural engineering and activation processes produce materials with enhanced adsorptive properties and separation efficiencies. Furthermore, the formation of CNMs with 2D and 3D macro-and microstructures and high porosities is a potential approach to improve adsorption performances and extend CNM use at the industrial level. The book also addresses important issues regarding these adsorbents that potentially affect future research and industrial applications of carbon-based nanoadsorbents in water security.

Traditional and Novel Adsorbents for Antibiotics Removal from Wastewater describes, in detail, the importance of removing antibiotics from aqueous systems, along with new information on their variation, solubility, toxicology and allowable concentration in groundwater. The book covers adsorption as an applicable method, highlighting its advantages and disadvantages. It investigates various adsorbents ranging from traditional activated carbons, modified forms of clays, metal oxides, polymer resins, and more advanced materials such as graphene-based, MOF, nano-matrices, and composite materials as potential sorbents for the adsorption of antibiotics from aqueous solutions. In addition, the book covers biological microorganisms that have been used to remove antibiotics from wastewater and presents biopolymers, biowaste and living cells potentially and practically suitable for this purpose. For all adsorbents, the book explains preparation methods, main properties, modification techniques to increase antibiotic removal efficiency, mechanisms in antibiotic removal, advantages and limitations. It also presents adsorption-desorption in batch and continuous mode, optimized operating parameters, kinetic and equilibrium adsorption, and regeneration studies.

From Biofiltration to Promising Options in Gaseous Fluxes Biotreatment: Recent Developments, New Trends, Advances, and Opportunities provides an overview on the biological tools used for the treatment of the gaseous fluxes, with emphasis on traditional and perspective options, opening new horizons for research and implementation in practice. It is known that air pollution is an emergent global issue and a priority within the international environmental programs. Moreover, technologies based on biological methods are significantly contributing to the sustainable development concept. Thus this book provides tools for solving air pollution issues in a sustainable manner. These issues can be solved at different levels (e.g., "end-of-pipe" gaseous streams, indoor/outdoor air, closed environments), which can be approached by the different biotechniques presented in the book, from classical biofiltration techniques (part 1) to phytotreatment and microalgae-based techniques (part 2). Although all options have their particularities that make them special for certain applications, a special attention is drawn to the potential of the last one, which offers multiple possibilities for biomass valorization. Scientists from worldwide with relevant experience in their field have been contributed to the development of this book.

Machine Learning for Subsurface Characterization develops and applies neural networks, random forests, deep learning, unsupervised learning, Bayesian frameworks, and clustering methods for subsurface characterization. Machine learning (ML) focusses on developing computational methods/algorithms that learn to recognize patterns and quantify functional relationships by processing large data sets, also referred to as the "big data." Deep learning (DL) is a subset of machine learning that processes "big data" to construct numerous layers of abstraction to accomplish the learning task. DL methods do not require the manual step of extracting/engineering features; however, it requires us to provide large amounts of data along with high-performance computing to obtain reliable results in a timely manner. This reference helps the engineers, geophysicists, and geoscientists get familiar with data science and analytics terminology relevant to subsurface characterization and demonstrates the use of data-driven methods for outlier detection, geomechanical/electromagnetic characterization, image analysis, fluid saturation estimation, and pore-scale characterization in the subsurface.

Resulting from a merger of two successful events, this book contains papers presented at the 11th International Conference on Waste Management and Environmental and Economic Impact on Sustainable Development. To prevent emerging threats to environmental and ecological systems we must learn from past failures to avoid repeating similar mistakes. Waste management is one of the key problems of modern society due to the ever-expanding volume and complexity of discarded domestic and industrial waste and its implications on health and the environment. Society is increasingly aware of the need to establish better practices and safer solutions for waste disposal. This creates a need for more research on current disposal methods such as landfills, incineration, chemical and effluent treatment, as well as recycling, clean technologies, waste monitoring, public and corporate awareness and general education. The desired direction of waste management is towards sustainable strategies that avoid the short term solutions applied in the past. The approach which has emerged as the most promising has been called 4Rs, where reduction, reuse, recycling and recovery are seen as the best actions. More recently these concepts have given rise to the new model of the 'Circular Economy', which is based on the reuse of what up to now has been considered waste, reintroducing them into the production cycle. Further steps are required towards the improvement of current technologies, increased collaboration between the public, government and private sectors and increased involvement of all stakeholders. The included research works put a focus on the impact of economic constraints on the environment, taking into account the social aspects as well as the over-use of natural resources, contamination and toxicity. Problems of great importance are addressed, with the goal of finding constructive and progressive approaches to ensure sustainability.

Environmental problems caused by the increase of pollutant loads discharged into natural water bodies requires the formation of a framework for regulation and control. This framework needs to be based on scientific results that relate pollutant discharge with changes in water quality. The results of these studies allow the industry to apply more efficient methods of controlling and treating waste loads, and water authorities to enforce appropriate regulations regarding this matter. Water pollution problems are essentially interdisciplinary. Engineers and scientists working in this field must be familiar with a wide range of issues including the physical processes of mixing and dilution, chemical and biological processes, mathematical modelling, data acquisition and measurement, to name but a few. In view of the scarcity of available data, it is important that experiences are shared on an international basis. Thus, a continuous exchange of information between scientists from different countries is essential. Papers presented at Water Pollution 2020, the 15th International Conference in the series of Monitoring, Modelling and Management of Water Pollution, are contained in this volume and highlight research works from scientists, managers and academics from different areas of water contamination.

Technological Learning in the Transition to a Low-Carbon Energy System: Conceptual Issues, Empirical Findings, and Use in Energy Modeling quantifies key trends and drivers of energy technologies deployed in the energy transition. It uses the experience curve tool to show how future cost reductions and cumulative deployment of these technologies may shape the future mix of the electricity, heat and transport sectors. The book explores experience curves in detail, including possible pitfalls, and demonstrates how to quantify the 'quality' of experience curves. It discusses how this tool is implemented in models and addresses methodological challenges and solutions. For each technology, current market trends, past cost reductions and underlying drivers, available experience curves, and future prospects are considered. Electricity, heat and transport sector models are explored in-depth to show how the future deployment of these technologies-and their associated costs-determine whether ambitious decarbonization climate targets can be reached - and at what costs. The book also addresses lessons and recommendations for policymakers, industry and academics, including key technologies requiring further policy support, and what scientific knowledge gaps remain for future research.

Water Quality in the Third Pole: The Roles of Climate Change and Human Activities offers in-depth coverage of water quality issues (natural and human-related), the monitoring of contaminants, and the remediation of water contamination. The book's chapters assess years of research on water quality and climate change in this fascinating and scientifically important region. Topics addressed include climate change impacts on water qualities of freshwater bodies, such as glaciers, lakes, rivers and precipitation. In addition, the book explains the growing concerns over water quality, such as mercury, trace elements, major ions, persistent organic pollutants and their circulation. As such, it is an essential reference for academics and policymakers interested in the water quality of natural bodies.

Wastewater Treatment Residues as Resources for Biorefinery Products and Energy reviews wastewater treatment processes and the use of residues. The viability of end use processes for residues, such as incineration, cement additives, agricultural fertilizers, and methane production are reviewed and analyzed, as are new processes for the use of residues within a fuels production system, such as pyrolysis, hydrothermal liquefaction and syngas. Specialized chapters discuss fractionation of biomass, the production of compounds from volatile fatty acids that conceptually proceed from the anaerobic acidogenesis of residues, and a final analysis of the overall productivity and viability that can be expected from these production schemes.

Graphene-Based Nanotechnologies for Energy and Environmental Applications explores how graphene-based materials are being used to make more efficient, reliable products and devices for energy storage and harvesting and environmental monitoring and purification. The book outlines the major sustainable, recyclable, and eco-friendly methods for using a range of graphene-based materials in innovative ways. It represents an important information source for materials scientists and engineers who want to learn more about the use of graphene-based nanomaterials to create the next generation of products and devices in energy and environmental science. Graphene-based nanotechnologies are at the heart of some of the most exciting developments in the fields of energy and environmental research. Graphene has exceptional properties, which are being used to create more effective products for electronic systems, environmental sensing devices, energy storage, electrode materials, fuel cell, novel nano-sorbents, membrane and photocatalytic degradation of environmental pollutants especially in the field of water and wastewater treatment.