More than half of the world population now lives in cities, and urban expansion continues as rural people move to cities. This results in the loss of land for other purposes, particularly soil for agriculture and drainage. This book presents a review of current knowledge of the extension and projected expansion of urban areas at a global scale. Focusing on the impact of the process of 'land take' on soil resources and the ecosystem services that they provide, it describes approaches and methodologies for detecting and measuring urban areas, based mainly on remote sensing, together with a review of models and projected data on urban expansion. The most innovative aspect includes an analysis of the drivers and especially the impacts of soil sealing and land take on ecosystem services, including agriculture and food security, biodiversity, hydrology, climate and landscape. Case studies of cities from Europe, China and Latin America are included. The aim is not only to present and analyse this important environmental challenge, but also to propose and discuss solutions for the limitation, mitigation and compensation of this process.

In recent decades, science has experienced a revolutionary shift. The development and extensive application of computer modelling and simulation has transformed the knowledge-making practices of scientific fields as diverse as astro-physics, genetics, robotics and demography. This epistemic transformation has brought with it a simultaneous heightening of political relevance and a renewal of international policy agendas, raising crucial questions about the nature and application of simulation knowledges throughout public policy. Through a diverse range of case studies, spanning over a century of theoretical and practical developments in the atmospheric and environmental sciences, this book argues that computer modelling and simulation have substantially changed scientific and cultural practices and shaped the emergence of novel 'cultures of prediction'. Making an innovative, interdisciplinary contribution to understanding the impact of computer modelling on research practice, institutional configurations and broader cultures, this volume will be essential reading for anyone interested in the past, present and future of climate change and the environmental sciences.

Changes in production, demand, supply, and trade patterns; the impact of green building and bioenergy on industry practices and policy infrastructure; and new economies with production advantages and large consumption bases all present challenges and opportunities in the forest sector. With contributions from leading experts in academia and professional organizations, The Global Forest Sector: Changes, Practices, and Prospects fills a gap in the literature that is preventing students, scholars, and policy makers from developing a timely, structured, big-picture view of forest sector business. In addition, the book reviews current thinking on a wide variety of business management issues in the forest sector. The book covers managing change in the global forest sector and the impact of globalization on forest users. It discusses markets and market forces, new products and product categories, and the influence of China and Russia. The book then examines the environmental paradigm, including environmental activism, sustainability, and the impact of green building and bioenergy. The book concludes with coverage of the role of information technology, corporate social responsibility, innovation, and next steps. Overall, this book helps readers both develop a bird's eye view of the changes surrounding the forest sector as well as have a magnified view of numerous managerial issues associated with these changes. The content paints a picture of the current and changing forest sector including the state of forests, the nature of markets, the newly emerged patterns of stakeholder impact, and evolution of key business practices. It provides the foundation needed to develop the conservation-based economy required for future success in the global forest sector.

This book presents the results from the Japanese Fisheries Research Agency's 3-year intensive monitoring of radionuclides in a variety of fish, plankton, benthos, and their living environments after the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (FNPP) accident in March 2011. The book reveals the dynamics of contamination processes in marine and freshwater fish, mediated by the contamination of water, sediments, and food organisms; it also clarifies the mechanisms by which large variations in the level of contamination occurs among individual fish. Most importantly, the book includes a large amount of original measurement data collected in situ and for the first time assesses diffusion of radiocesium across the Pacific using both in situ data and a numerical simulation model. Also introduced are several new approaches to evaluate the impact of the release of radionuclides, including the measurement of radiation emission from an otolith section to identify the main period of contamination in fish. The FNPP accident represents a rare instance where the environmental radioactivity level was elevated steeply through atmospheric fallout and direct discharge of radioactive water into the sea over a short period of time. Replete with precise scientific data, this book will serve as an important resource for research in fields such as fishery science, oceanography, ecology, and environmentology, and also as a solid basis for protecting fisheries from damage resulting from harmful rumors among the general public.

Time-series analysis is used to identify and quantify periodic features in datasets and has many applications across the geosciences, from analysing weather data, to solid-Earth geophysical modelling. This intuitive introduction provides a practical 'how-to' guide to basic Fourier theory, with a particular focus on Earth system applications. The book starts with a discussion of statistical correlation, before introducing Fourier series and building to the fast Fourier transform (FFT) and related periodogram techniques. The theory is illustrated with numerous worked examples using R datasets, from Milankovitch orbital-forcing cycles to tidal harmonics and exoplanet orbital periods. These examples highlight the key concepts and encourage readers to investigate more advanced time-series techniques. The book concludes with a consideration of statistical effect size and significance. This useful book is ideal for graduate students and researchers in the Earth system sciences who are looking for an accessible introduction to time-series analysis.

Detection of Pathogens in Water Using Micro and Nano-Technology aims to promote the uptake of innovative micro and nano-technological approaches towards the development of an integrated, cost-effective nano-biological sensor useful for security and environmental assays. The book describes the concerted efforts of a large European research project and the achievements of additional leading research groups. The reported knowledge and expertise should support in the innovation and integration of often separated unitary processes. Sampling, cell lysis and DNA/RNA extraction, DNA hybridisation detection micro- and nanosensors, microfluidics, together also with computational modelling and risk assessment can be integrated in the framework of the current and evolving European regulations and needs. The development and uptake of molecular methods is revolutionizing the field of waterborne pathogens detection, commonly performed with time-consuming cultural methods. The molecular detection methods are enabling the development of integrated instruments based on biosensor that will ultimately automate the full pathway of the microbiological analysis of water. Editors: Giampaolo Zuccheri, University of Bologna, Italy and Nikolaos Asproulis, Cranfield University, UK

Managing Complexity: Earth Systems and Strategies for the Future introduces and explores systems and complexity in relation to near-synchronous world and environmental problems. These relate to but are not limited to water, biological diversity, worldwide climate change, trade and conflict, global migration and the quest for sustainable development. Complemented by discussion of the new era of the Anthropocene, its many manifestations, and Earth system properties such as planetary boundaries and tipping points this book offers practical suggestions for how a sustainable future for humanity can be realised. Specifically discussed in Managing Complexity: Earth Systems and Strategies for the Future are innovation, education and capacity building, application of the natural and social sciences and new paths towards sustainability based on industrial development and engineering, as well as in diplomacy and foreign aid. The book's conclusions discuss the ambitious yet vital reforms the authors propose as routes to a sustainable existence. This book will be of great interest to students and scholars of sustainability, sustainable development and complexity theory.

Scientists and consultants need to estimate and map properties of the terrestrial environment. These include plant nutrients and parasites in soil, gaseous emissions from soil, pollutant metals and xenobiotics in waste and contaminated land, salt in groundwater and species abundances above ground. The scale varies from small experimental plots to catchments, and the land may be enclosed in fields or be open grassland, forest or desert. Those who sample the variables to obtain the necessary data need guidance on the design and analysis of sampling methods for their conclusions and recommendations to be valid.

This book provides that guidance, backed by sound rationale and statistical theory. It concentrates on design-based sampling for estimates of mean values of environmental properties, emphasizing replication and randomization. It starts with simple random sampling and then progresses to more efficient designs, such as spatially stratified random sampling, stratification by classes and cluster sampling. It includes a section on purposive sampling in classical soil survey, which is relevant to other environmental properties such as vegetation. It also describes the effects of bulking on errors and the use of ancillary information and regression to improve estimates. The authors draw the important distinction between design-based sampling for estimating means and model-based methods (geostatistics) for local spatial prediction and mapping, and focus on the latter. They describe designs suitable for computing variograms and prediction by kriging, as well as a staged approach, so that sampling is neither inadequate nor excessive, and designs adapt as knowledge is accumulated. Including numerous worked case studies of sampling in agriculture, ecology and environmental science, the book will be of immediate practical value.

While innovative technologies in remediation need to be developed, so do innovative ways of site assessment. This monograph describes the development, testing, and performance of a new laser-induced fluorescence soil probe. A screening tool for site characterization, this probe has the potential to provide an economical, rapid assessment of contaminated sites. Cone Penetrometer testing equipment advances the probe into the subsurface. The probe identifies hydrocarbon classes using a multi-channel excitation-emission matrix. This technique facilitates the collection of significant amounts of subsurface information - surpassing conventional data collection methods - that can be used to rapidly identify areas of concern beneath a site. The technology has significant application for the following: Rapid environmental site assessment Monitoring remediation programs Monitoring manufacturing processes and industrial waste water operations Subsurface Contamination Monitoring Using Laser Fluorescence provides comprehensive reference material for researchers and engineers as well as engineering consultants interested in subsurface monitoring techniques or further development of this technology. It describes innovative technology that focuses on finding cost effective solutions for site assessment and remediation.

First published in 1992. In 1972, the UN Conference on the Human Environment initiated the process of world environmental cooperation. This study is about GEMS (the Global Environment Monitoring System) which the Conference recommended be set up to generate data and information necessary for worldwide environmental assessment. This book examines the genesis and evolution of GEMS, and the complex task involved in establishing GEMS and making it perform its functions. It relates GEMS to the factors which have shaped the international environmental agenda and cooperation since 1972. In particular, it highlights North-South differences and the problems inherent in the international organizations belonging to the UN system, vis-a-vis the novel and multifaceted challenges involved in dealing with systemic, cross-sectoral nature of global environmental problems. The lessons of GEMS and other issues presented in this book are highly relevant to the continuing efforts to set up effective programmes for 'earthwatching' and to promote international environmental cooperation. They also relate more broadly to the challenges of managing global interdependence and to the need to devise supporting organizational structures through reform and strengthening of the UN system. The comprehensive nature of the political and institutional analyses presented in this book make it an academic reference work of lasting value. Its frank tone and willingness to derive prescriptive conclusions will appeal in particular to the many actors engaged in the processes and structures of global multilateral cooperation. The book will be of special use to those interested in environmental issues and international organization

Microbial quality of water is a prime public health concern in today's world. To protect public health, the World Health Organization and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency have established microbial pollution indicator standards and recommended routine monitoring of water for both total and fecal coliforms (Dufour, 1984, U.S. EPA 1986,1994, WHO 1993). However, the adequacy of current water quality standards to indicate the presence or absence of human pathogens is still questionable. For example, human viruses are more resistant to sewage treatment processes and environmental conditions than bacterial indicators and therefore may pose a substantial threat. It is now recognized that the absence, or a low concentration, of indicator organisms in water may not adequately reflect the absence of human viruses. In our previous study of southern California coastal waters, we found over 30% of coastal waters tested contained human viruses, and the presence of these viruses did not correlate with an elevated level of bacterial indicators (Jiang et al. 2000). The goal of this research is to develop and validate a molecular method for rapid and specific detection of microbial contaminants including human viruses and bacterial indicators in treated sewage effluents and receiving waters. Research Outcomes An extensive search and review of current state of technology for molecular alternatives to indicator and viral pathogen detection was conducted. The results indicate that although real-time PCR methods have been widely applied in the clinical research for detection of human viruses, environmental application of this method is very limited. In addition, there is an urgent need for a method for efficient concentration and purification of human viruses in complex environmental matrixes. During this study, we have designed, tested and optimized real-time quantitative PCR method using specific and degenerate primers and probes targeting at adenoviruses and enterococci, respectively. Experimental testing of real time PCR primers and probes for adenoviruses demonstrated reproducible results at efficiency greater than 90% over a 5-log dynamic range of target concentration. The enterococci real time PCR was efficient at 99% of the time and over a 7-log dynamic range of target concentration. Application of these methods to sewage effluents and coastal waters demonstrated that real-time PCR methods are more sensitive than culturing methods at detection of targets, suggesting a great potential for real-time quantification of microbial contaminants in environments. However, real-time PCR based method, like other genome based detection technology, overestimates the concentration of infectious viral concentration in the environment. In addition to the method development for real-time PCR detection, we have also sampled and isolated human adenoviruses from Newport Bay, California using human embryonic kidney cells, 293A. Cloning and sequencing of selective environmental adenovirus hexon gene suggested that most of the viruses recovered from the environment belong to adenovirus serotype 40 (66%). This result is in agreement with clinical data on the load of viral shedding in feces. Since adenovirus serotypes 40 and 41 are the major cause of childhood diarrhea, the result of this investigation indicates the importance of monitoring water for viral quality. Comparison of four different tissue culture cell lines for their sensitivities to adenoviruses infection has demonstrated that the genetically engineered 293A cells are the most efficient at recovery of adenoviruses 40. This result is a significant contribution to our ability to assay for infectious adenoviruses in environmental samples.

Statistical and machine learning methods have many applications in the environmental sciences, including prediction and data analysis in meteorology, hydrology and oceanography, pattern recognition for satellite images from remote sensing, management of agriculture and forests, assessment of climate change, and much more. With rapid advances in machine learning in the last decade, this book provides an urgently needed, comprehensive guide to machine learning and statistics for students and researchers interested in environmental data science. It includes intuitive explanations covering the relevant background mathematics, with examples drawn from the environmental sciences. A broad range of topics are covered, including correlation, regression, classification, clustering, neural networks, random forests, boosting, kernel methods, evolutionary algorithms, and deep learning, as well as the recent merging of machine learning and physics. End-of-chapter exercises allow readers to develop their problem-solving skills and online data sets allow readers to practise analysis of real data.

Managing Complexity: Earth Systems and Strategies for the Future introduces and explores systems and complexity in relation to near-synchronous world and environmental problems. These relate to but are not limited to water, biological diversity, worldwide climate change, trade and conflict, global migration and the quest for sustainable development. Complemented by discussion of the new era of the Anthropocene, its many manifestations, and Earth system properties such as planetary boundaries and tipping points this book offers practical suggestions for how a sustainable future for humanity can be realised. Specifically discussed in Managing Complexity: Earth Systems and Strategies for the Future are innovation, education and capacity building, application of the natural and social sciences and new paths towards sustainability based on industrial development and engineering, as well as in diplomacy and foreign aid. The book's conclusions discuss the ambitious yet vital reforms the authors propose as routes to a sustainable existence. This book will be of great interest to students and scholars of sustainability, sustainable development and complexity theory.

Following shifting trends from remedial to preventive uses of grouting practices, this third edition covers all aspects of chemical grouting methods and applications. This reference highlights new ground improvement techniques as well as recent innovations in soil modification and stabilization procedures. It considers commercial alternatives to ground improvement, their relative advantages and disadvantages, and the engineering applications to which these methods are suited. Revised and expanded, this new edition assesses the role of new grouting techniques in the containment of hazardous waste and introduces numerous problems to illustrate concepts and facilitate instruction.

Farmers today are faced with an array of products that they can use to improve the fertility of their lands. Organic soil amendments such as biosolids, manures and, to a lesser extent, Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) composts are products that can be used to supplement or replace mineral fertilizers. Many farmers are aware of the benefits that organic products offer, especially in terms of improved crop yields, increased soil fertility, reduced fertilizer costs, and their overall contribution to sustainable agriculture. Concerns have been raised, however, regarding the safety of organic soil amendments. Depending on the type of product, these can include (but are not limited to) the accumulation of phosphorus and metals in soils, plant uptake of land-applied metals, the contamination of groundwater and soil with organic compounds, and potential health impacts from pathogens and viruses. Although many of these issues have been rigorously researched, data is often published in academic journals and textbooks, and is not necessarily accessible to the public. For all soil amendments, comparative information regarding risks, benefits, advantages, and disadvantages is not always readily available. Equally critical is the lack of accessible comparative data on soil amendment and mineral fertilizer characteristics and use.Recognizing the need to provide a comparison of these products, the Water Environment Research Foundation (WERF) commissioned this multi-year study of soil amendments, fertilizers and their uses. For the study, the project team performed a comprehensive literature survey, reviewing and compiling the results from nearly 500 documents (primarily from academic journals and texts). The study generally found that the relative risk to the environment from amendments and fertilizers varies by parameter and shows that known risks from each of the materials studied can be managed. Moreover, these manageable risks must be carefully weighed against the considerable benefits provided by the land application of amendments and fertilizers. This publication can also be purchased and downloaded via Pay Per View on Water Intelligence Online - click on the Pay Per View icon below

The field of plasmonics has shown extraordinary capabilities in realizing highly sensitive and accurate sensors for environmental monitoring and measurement of biological analytes. The inherent potential of such devices has led to growing interest worldwide in commercial fiber optic chemical and biosensors. Optical Sensors for Biomedical Diagnostics and Environmental Monitoring is an essential resource for students, established researchers, and industry developers in need of a reference work on both the fundamentals and latest advances in optical fiber sensor technology in biomedical diagnostics and environmental monitoring. The book includes rigorous theory and experimental techniques of surface plasmon and lossy mode resonances, as well as real-time sensing applications of resonance techniques implemented over optical fiber substrate using bulk layer and/or nanostructures as transducer and sensing layers. In addition, discussion of various design options for real-time sensors in environmental monitoring and biomedical diagnostics make the book approachable to readers from multidisciplinary fields.

Assessing the full scale of environmental impacts is essential for effective planning of transport and land use. This is an analysis of transport and land-use planning using strategic environmental assessment (SEA). It establishes the effectiveness of SEA through comparative studies of practice in three countries: Britain, the Netherlands and Germany. The author shows that use of SEA is widespread but far from systematic. He demonstrates the advantages of adopting a systematic application of a comprehensive form of SEA derived from all the major current approaches. Only once this approach is fully understood and systematically applied will all the full benefits be achieved and environmental impacts be minimalized.

Building on the success of bioremediation and phytoremediation technologies, Natural and Enhanced Remediation Systems explores remediation techniques that use the beneficial effects provided by Mother Nature. Written by a leader in the industry, the book provides state-of-the-art information on natural and enhanced remediation techniques such as monitored natural attenuation, in situ reactive zones, bio-augmentation, in situ chemical oxidation, phytoremediation, constructed wetlands, and engineered phyto-covers. It contrasts the new paradigms in remediation with the conventional remedies of the past two decades. It addresses theoretical and design aspects and includes case studies that illustrate implementation and performance details. The appendixes contain substantial information and data usually found scattered in many different books and research papers, making Natural and Enhanced Remediation Systems a comprehensive resource on cutting-edge remediation technologies.

Contents:
1. Introduction. 2. Determination of Metals in Soils. 3. Determination of Metals in Non-Saline Sediments. 4. Determination of Metals in Marine Sediments. 5. Determination of Metals in Estuarine Sediments. 6. Determination of Metals in Sludges. 7. Determination of Anions in Soil. 8. Determination of Anions in Non-Saline Sediments. 9. Determination of Anions in Sludges 10. Sampling Procedures. 11. Accumulation Processes in Sediments. 12. Disposal of Wastes to Land. 13. Relationship between Metal Content of Soil and Crops Grown on Soil. Index.

Total Environmental Compliance: A Practical Guide for Environmental Professionals gives you the background and skills you need to ensure total environmental compliance in your organization. Instead of dryly describing theoretical management systems or reciting regulatory provisions, the author delves into the challenging issues of why organizations disregard this important issue and explains how to promote compliance-oriented attitudes throughout the entire organization.
The Guide focuses on critical elements such as communication skills, hiring and retaining qualified employees, managing environmental information, and maintaining high standards of professionalism. Other topics covered include: how to understand environmental requirements, why organizations violate environmental laws, and the aspects of permitting, designing, and monitoring that must be considered to achieve and sustain compliance. Case studies illustrate actual instances of individuals and organizations who ran afoul of environmental laws because they disregarded the basic principles of environmental compliance.
Total Environmental Compliance: A Practical Guide for Environmental Professionals explores how noncompliance occurs and how to avoid it using techniques that address legal requirements. It shows you how to protect your organization from the expensive and time consuming litigation that occurs when environmental laws are ignored or interpreted incorrectly.

An environmental assessment must be performed whenever a property transaction takes place. Those who donít may find themselves responsible for the past misdeeds of others. This book contains contributions by professionals from various locations who use Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) as a tool applied to water management issues.
SEA helps make decisions that increase sustainability. Because of its procedural nature, it necessarily becomes tailor-made to different applications. Easily understood and geographic in scope, this book presents leading edge thinking and first hand knowledge on the applications of SEA in water management.
Perspectives on Strategic Environmental Assessment is a comprehensive guidebook for performing environmental assessments all over the world. No other source provides you with as much information on the applications of SEA as a policy assessment and management tool. This book provides a blueprint for environmental assessments that safeguards you from the oversights of others.

Controlling the emission of volatile organic compounds (VOC) became a very prominent environmental issue with the passage of the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments, and will continue to be an environmental priority through the next decade. No single technology has played as important a role in the control of VOC emissions as thermal oxidation. It has the ability to destroy VOCs in a one-step process that produces innocuous by-products.
Design of Thermal Oxidation Systems for Volatile Organic Compounds provides all the information needed for developing a thermal oxidation design in a single reference. It covers design, operation, and maintenance as well as the principles behind the classification of volatile organic compounds as hazardous waste. The author explores the primary purpose of thermal oxidizers and discusses their limitations.
The book provides:
· practical, complete, and concise thermal oxidizer design principles
· an outline of state-of-the-art design principles
· a practical rather than theoretical approach
· real industrial examples in each chapter
With the new regulations that affect VOC emissions, engineers from such diverse fields as oil refining, chemical distillation and separation processes, and pharmaceutical industries will need to design and implement thermal oxidation systems. Design of Thermal Oxidation Systems for Volatile Organic Compounds provides a reference to the entire design process, from conceptualization to operation and maintenance.

Originally published in 1977, this title provides an overview of regional residuals-environmental quality management (REQM). Edited by Blair T. Bower, this volume offers insights on the analytical problems faced in developing useful information for societal decisions on REQM. It is a valuable resource for policy makers and students interested in environmental issues.

This book describes a methodology for imputing a monetary value to the loss in beach recreational services that would result from a hypothetical oil spill in the Georges Bank area off Massachusetts. It is a valuable resource for students interested in environmental studies.

There has been ever increasing interest in understanding the various aspects of available resources and production, in terms of need and supply, conservation and environmental impacts and so on. From the current energy scenario, it is very clear that there are serious challenges related in achieving energy sustainability and security worldwide. The aim of this book is to present an overview of progress made towards energy sustainability addressing concerns regarding carbon emission and clean energy resources. Keeping this in mind, the book has chapters on all major energy sources which are being utilized at present, along with those having potential prospects for future.