Looking at the politics of nuclear waste, this book examines the subject from an international standpoint. Other works by the author Andrew Blowers include "The Limits of Power" and "Something in the Air", and he has been co-editor on books such as "Nuclear Power in Crisis".

Offering a comprehensive approach, this title covers fundamentals, technologies, and management of biological processing of solid waste. It discusses kinetic modeling and synergistic impact evolution during bioprocessing of solid waste, environmental impacts such as greenhouse gas emission from biological processing of solid waste, energy recovery from solid waste, and biodrying of solid waste. It also presents cases and challenges from different countries, successful business models, and economic analyses of various processing options. Aimed at researchers and industry professionals in solid and hazardous waste management, this title offers a wealth of knowledge to help readers understand this increasingly important area.

This Practical Guide to Rock Tunneling fills an important void in the literature for a practical guide to the design and construction of tunnels in rock. Practical Guide to Rock Tunneling takes the reader through all the critical steps of the design and construction for rock tunnels starting from geotechnical site investigations through to construction supervision. The guide provides suggestions and recommendations for practitioners on special topics of laboratory testing, durability of rock and acceptance for unlined water conveyance tunnels, overstressing or deep and long tunnels, risk-based evaluation of excavation methods, contract strategies, and post-construction inspections. Key considerations and lessons learned from selected case projects are presented based on the author's extensive international experience of over 30 years and 1000 km of tunneling for civil, hydropower, and mining infrastructure, including some of the most recognized projects in the world to date. Instead of revisiting all theory and concepts that can be found in other sources, this book contains the hard learned lessons from the author's experience in the field of Rock Tunneling, gathered over 30 years of service.

Microbes are the predominant form of life on the planet due to their broad range of adaptation and versatile nutritional behavior. The ability of some microbes to inhabit hostile environment incompatible with most forms of life means that their habitat defines the extent of the biosphere and delineates the barrier between the biosphere and geosphere. The direct and indirect role of microbes that include bacteria, fungi, actinomycetes, viruses, mycoplasma, and protozoans are very much important in development of modern human society for food, drugs, textiles, agriculture, and environment. Furthermore, microorganisms and their enzyme system are responsible for the degradation of various organic matters. Microbes for Sustainable Development and Bioremediation emphasizes the role of microbes for sustainable development of ecosystem. Environmental microbiology role in biogeochemical cycle and bioremediation of environmental waste is major theme, which comprises the following aspects: Bacterial phytoextraction mechanism of heavy metals by native hyperaccumulator plants from complex waste-contaminated site for eco-restoration Role of microbial enzyme for eco-friendly recycling of industrial waste Field-scale remediation of crude oil-contaminated desert soil and treatment technology Microbial technology for metal recovery from e-waste printed circuit board Impact of genomic data on sustainability of ecosystem Methane monooxygenases: their regulations and applications Role of microbes in environmental sustainability and food preservation This book will be directly beneficial to researchers and classroom students, in areas of biotechnology, environmental microbiology, molecular biology, and environmental engineering with specialized collection of cutting-edge knowledge.

Environments at Risk is designed as an introductory text and uses case histories of environmental impact assessment to raise issues important in controlling environmental problems. This approach is novel as is the concentration on assessment procedures. In his twenty years of involvement with such cases, Professor Ellis developed his own method of approach for auditing environmental impact assessments, a method which will help readers appraise similar cases in which they are involved, either as concerned citizen, environmental managers or assessors.

Converting sludge into construction materials is deemed to be a sustainable approach to alleviating sludge disposal problems and conserving natural resources.This compendium presents the state-of-the-art development in recycling sludge into construction materials. A research-based development of engineering products made from sludge for common construction applications such as bricks, aggregates and cement-replacement materials is outlined. In-depth discussions on the properties of the products and their processing technology, the technical suitability for construction applications, and experimental study and assessment of toxic or hazardous chemicals leached from the products are prominently highlighted. Challenges and prospect of sludge recycling are also included.Contributed by eminent authors who are recognized authority in the field of sludge treatment and reuse, the unique monograph is a useful reference guide for professionals, researchers, academics and graduate students majoring in waste management, environmental engineering, civil engineering and materials engineering.

Landfill, as an indispensable part of every waste management system, is subject to a critical revision. The existing scientific, technical, and regulatory concepts are discussed in group reports on the basis of 14 review papers. Landfills are considered as chemical and biological reactors, which can be active over a time span of several centuries. Thus the common goal of the participants of the workshop was to define both scientific and technical criteria for landfills with final storage quality. This new concept is of fundamental importance for environmental engineers and scientists.

In computational mechanics, the first and quite often the most difficult part of a problem is the correct formulation of the problem. This is usually done in terms of differential equations. Once this formulation is accomplished, the translation of the governing differential equations into accurate, stable, and physically realistic difference equations can be a formidable task. By comparison, the numerical evaluation of these difference equations in order to obtain a solution is usually much simpler. The present notes are primarily concerned with the second task, that of deriving accurate, stable, and physically realistic difference equations from the governing differential equations. Procedures for the numerical evaluation of these difference equations are also presented. In later applications, the physical formulation of the problem and the properties of the numerical solution, especially as they are related to the numerical approximations inherent in the solution, are discussed. There are numerous ways to form difference equations from differential equations.

Particle samplers are widely used in workplaces in order to determine the concentration of airborne particles in the atmosphere. They generally operate by drawing air, with the aid of a pump, through one or more orifices in the sampler body and housed within the sampler is a filter through which the air is subsequently drawn. The airborne particles are collected on the filter and their concentration is determined. Various samplers have been designed for this purpose including "static" samplers, which are located in a fixed position in a working environment and determine the dust concentration averaged over a prescribed period of time at that one point, and "personal" samplers which are mounted on a working person near to the breathing zone. The ORB sampler, a static sampler designed by Ogden and Birkett (1978) to have approximately the same entry efficiency, for particles with aerodynamical diameter up to at least 25 m, as a human head equally exposed to all wind directions for wind speeds between 0 and 2. 75m1s, is shown in Fig. l. l and examples of personal samplers are shown in Fig. 1. 2a, b and c and represent a single 4mm hole sampler, a seven hole sampler and a 25mm open face filter holder respectively. These three samplers are some of the most commonly used personal samplers for sampling the total airborne concentrations of workplace dusts in Britain.

The Technology Program GAST was executed from 1981 to 1987 as a German-Spanish joint program aiming at the development and the investigation of necessary solar specific components and software for a gas-cooled tower power station of medium size. After the tests had been successfully completed at the Plata forma Solar de Almeria in 1987, the proceedings are now presented to inform the experts and the public about these developments and their results. Not intending to anticipate a detailed valuation of the results, however, we as the project monitors of the Technology program resume that the intended aims are nearly entirely achieved and that principally the way for the construction and operation of a gas cooled solar tower power plant has been prepared. Essential for this successful completion were not only a promising concept, a careful design, a precise plan ning, solid fabrication and installation as well as careful tests, but also the extraordinarily good cooperation between the engaged companies, institutes, organisations and advisory groups."

Nuclear power issues have long been controversial, and often discussed from an inadequate or mistaken understanding. This book is a factual description of the whole fuel cycle, with individual chapters on specific topics from uranium mining, through the manufacture and use of fuel, to recycled products, waste disposal and progress towards a cleared site. Basic principles, environmental radioactivity (both natural and artificial) and provisions for safety are also covered. The level is pitched at a general scientific readership not necessarily familiar with the concepts, and although the viewpoint is naturally pro-nuclear, the aim is to inform rather than persuade. Where options are disputed, as whether used fuel should br reprocessed or discarded directly, both are described. The account is mainly of current practices, with the reasons for them. A final chapter suggests possible changes in the near or more distant future.

Results and conclusions of the "IEA-SSPS High Experiment" are presented together with the thermodynamic theory of the Advanced Sodium Receiver. During the experiment, flux distributions, surface temperature distributions, efficiencies and losses, were measured and calculated in a power range of 0.8-3.5 MW at different sodium inlet/outlet temperatures. The design heat flux of 1.4 MW/m2 was increased to 2.5 MW/m2 resulting in a slightly increased total receiver efficiency of over 90%.

An overview of the cultural evolution of material flows and stocks with an emphasis on the design of metabolic processes in urban systems. Over the last several thousand years of human life on Earth, agricultural settlements became urban cores, and these regional settlements became tightly connected through infrastructures transporting people, materials, and information. This global network of urban systems, including ecosystems, is the anthroposphere; the physical flows and stocks of matter and energy within it form its metabolism. This book offers an overview of the metabolism of the anthroposphere, with an emphasis on the design of metabolic systems. It takes a cultural historical perspective, supported with methodology from the natural sciences and engineering. The book will be of interest to scholars and practitioners in the fields of regional development, environmental protection, and material management. It will also be a resource for undergraduate and graduate students in industrial ecology, environmental engineering, and resource management. The authors describe the characteristics of material stocks and flows of human settlements in space and time; introduce the method of material flow analysis (MFA) for metabolic studies; analyze regional metabolism and the material systems generated by basic activities; and offer four case studies of optimal metabolic system design: phosphorus management, urban mining, waste management, and mobility. This second edition of an extremely influential book has been substantially revised and greatly expanded. Its new emphasis on design and resource utilization reflects recent debates and scholarship on sustainable development and climate change.

The ener~y crisis in 1973 and 1979 initiated a great number of activities and programs for low and high temperature applica tion of solar energy. Synthetic fuels and chemicals produced by solar energy is one of them, where temperatures in the range of 600-1000 DegreesC or even higher are needed. In principle such high temperatures can be produced in solar towers. For electricity tower plants production, the feasibility and operation of solar Solar Power has been examined during the SSPS - project (Small System) in Almeria, Spain. extend The objective of Solar Thermal Energy Utilization is to field the experience from the former SSPS - program in to the of solar produced synthetic fuels. New materials and technolo gies have to be developed in order to research this goal. Metallic components now in use for solar receivers need to be improved with respect to transient operation or possibly replaced by ceramics. High temperature processes, like steam-methane reforming, coal conversion and hydrogen produc tion need to be developed or at least adapted for the unconven tional solar operation. Therefore Solar Thermal Energy Utiliza tion is a long term program, which needs time for its develop ment much more time than the intervals expected in between further energy crisis. The "Studies on Technology and Applica tion on Solar Energy Utilization" is a necessary step in the right direction in order to prepare for the energy problems in the future.

The energy crisis in 1973 and 1979 initiated a great number of activities and programs for low and high temperature applica tion of solar energy. Synthetic fuels and chemicals produced by solar energy is one of them, where temperatures in the range of 600-1000 DegreesC or even higher are needed. In principle such high temperatures can be produced in solar towers. For electricity production, the feasibility and operation of solar tower plants has been examined during the SSPS - project (Small Solar Power System) in Almeria, Spain. The objective of Solar Thermal Energy Utilization is to extend the experience from the former SSPS - program in to the field of solar produced synthetic fuels. New materials and technolo gies have to be developed in order to research this goal. Metallic components now in use for solar receivers need to be improved with respect to transient operation or possibly replaced by ceramics. High temperature processes, like steam-methane reforming, coal conversion and hydrogen produc tion need to be developed or at least adapted for the unconven tional solar operation. Therefore Solar Thermal Energy Utiliza tion is a long term program, which needs time for its develop ment much more time than the intervals expected in between further energy crisis. The "Studies on Technology and Applica tion on Solar Energy Utilization" is a necessary step in the right direction in order to prepare for the energy problems in the future.

The energy crisis in 1973 and 1979 initiated a great number of activities and programs for low and high temperature applica tion of solar energy. Synthetic fuels and chemicals produced by solar energy is one of them, where temperatures in the range of o 600-1000 e or even higher are needed. In principle such high temperatures can be produced in solar towers. For electricity production, the feasibility and operation of solar tower plants has been examined during the SSPS - project (Small Solar Power System) in Almeria, Spain. The objective of Solar Thermal Energy Utilization is to extend the experience from the former SSPS - program in to the field of solar produced synthetic fuels. New materials and technolo gies have to be developed in order to research this goal. Metallic components now in use for solar receivers need to be improved with respect to transient operation or possibly replaced by ceramics. High temperature processes, like steam-methane reforming, coal conversion and hydrogen produc tion need to be developed or at least adapted for the unconven tional solar operation. Therefore Solar Thermal Energy Utiliza tion is a long term program, which needs time for its develop ment much more time than the intervals expected in between further energy crisis. The "Studies on Technology and Applica tion on Solar Energy Utilization" is a npcessary stpp in the right direction in order to prepare for the energy problems in the future."

There is currently no clear strategy for dealing with large-scale contamination projects without causing obstacles to dealing with small-scale ones (brownfields). Following the Love Canal incident, CERCLA, the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (or Superfund) was legislated, and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was authorized to clean up contamination from past disposal practices that pose risks to human health or the environment. It is estimated that at least 200,000-500,000 sites (brownfields) in the United States contain polluted soil or groundwater that may require remediation to overcome the negative effects of past industrial operations. The book aims to evaluate the program's ability to cope with the uncertainties at large contaminated sites while still being able to achieve flexibility for the redevelopment of comparatively smaller parcels.

The particular behavior of trace metals in the environment is determined by their specific physico-chemical form rather than by their total concentration. The introduction of atomic absorption spectrometry has lead to a plethora of scientific papers and reports in which metal concentrations in the environment are only reported as total concentrations. Only recently has the need for improved knowledge on the various forms and bioavailability of metals been realised. Considerable research effort is now devoted to measuring the concentrations of trace metals in surface waters. Efforts are made to couple chemical analytical techniques to process-related biological problems. The proceedings of the workshop on "The Speciation of Metals in " "Water, Sediment and Soil Systems" held in Sunne, Sweden, comprise these efforts and show aspects for further cooperation between analytical chemists and biologists.

Discusses the global evolution of the earth, such as core- mantle separation, mantle-crust evolution, origin of ocean- atmosphere system, on the basis of isotope earth science and paleomagnetism, where recent devlopment in planetology and astrophysical theories are extensively taken into account.

The book guides specialists and non-specialists from around the world on how or whether anaerobic processes can be part of solutions for the management of municipal and industrial solid, semi-solid, and liquid residues. The simple self-learning presentation style is designed to encourage deep understanding of the process principles, plant types and system configurations, performance capabilities, operational and maintenance requirements, post-treatment needs, and management options for coproducts without complex biochemical terminologies and equations. It describes key aerobic biological treatment processes used in conjunction with anaerobic biological treatment in feedstock pre-treatment and in post-treatment of by-products. Practical pre-treatment processes, techniques and operations are described alongside additional treatment techniques of biogas, digestates and treated effluents for various end use options. Effective applications in developing countries are also considered, enabling practitioners and plant operators to effectively apply technology in temperate and warm climatic conditions.

Ten years ago the author, together with eight co-authors, edited a textbook Remote Sensing for Environmental Sciences within the series on Ecological Studies of Springer-Verlag. At that time there were not yet many books available on remote sensing. The decade that has elapsed was marked by a spectacular development in this field. This development took place in many directions: by widening the areas of application, by improvements of the methods and the sensors, by the introduction of new versatile platforms, but also by deepening the knowledge of the theoretical foundations. This evolution improved the ability to explain the interaction between electromagnetic radia tion and natural objects, which, in its turn, allowed for better modelization and for the creation of refined mathematical tools in the processing of remotely sensed data and in the determination of the physical status of remote objects. The community of research workers engaged in development and use of remote sensing methods changed accordingly from a modest group of scientists in the early 1970's to a considerable branch of specialized and interdisciplinary activity. The training of students had to be adapted to cope with the increasing number of people entering this new field and with the increasing quality of the material to be presented."

Transportation Tunnels, 2nd Edition provides a comprehensive text on tunneling and tunnel engineering applicable in general to all types of tunnels, with more detailed information on highway and railway tunnels. While the First Edition of the book was confined to deal with railway and highway tunnels, the Second Edition is also extensively considering the latest trends in use of tunnels in different other fields. The book has been revised to provide coverage of water conveyance, navigation and material conveyance tunnels also and deals with these subjects in more detail. It covers all aspects of investigation, design, construction, monitoring and maintenance of tunnels. Special emphasis has been laid on the geotechnical investigations, interpretation of findings and relating the same to the design as well as the construction of tunnels. The book reflects the advancements in the knowledge of ground behaviour and rock mechanics and also in construction technology, including use of TBM in the last two decades. It covers in sufficient detail the basic requirements of tunnel profile, the geometric parameters, clearance requirements, aerodynamics, and cost economics in fixing alignments with different design parameters like curvature, gradient and operational requirements. It discusses in detail alternative forms of the cross section / profile and illustrates design methodology with examples. The different methodologies that have been used in the past using timber or steel supports by stage wise expansion of cross sections and modern methodologies used for boring full profile using new tunneling methods and Tunnel Boring Machines are also comprehensively discussed. Requirements of tunnels in respect of ventilation, lighting and drainage are adequately covered. Separate chapters have been included on 'Instrumentation' and 'Tunnel Inspection and Maintenance'. The expanded text on the use and advantages of methodologies and equipment for dealing with various aspects of construction of tunnels is based on observations through site visits, discussions with, and experiences of people as recorded on large number of tunneling works which have been taken up recently for railways, highways and urban transport subway projects. The book can serve as a textbook for undergraduate and graduate students and as a reference book for practicing engineers.

This book states the harsh truth: that despite best intentions, our current environmental practices are doing more harm than good, and that the solution lies in creating supply chains of the future that design, produce, consume, and reuse materials in a manner that is balanced economically and environmentally. One billion beverage containers are used on a daily basis in the United States, with at least 600 million of them ending up in landfills. Even the 400 million that are recycled-at a great cost-are not accomplishing the task of helping the environment. This economic and environmental catastrophe cannot be solved by recycling programs. From his experience as a leader in the American consumer beverage industry and a researcher in Sweden, author Jack Buffington has developed a transformational solution that seeks to not just mitigate the environmental damage but jumpstart the economy while actually achieving zero waste. The Recycling Myth tells the story of how our current environmental practices are unintentionally doing more harm than good and how we need to create a radically different supply chain of the future that must, as best as possible, copy the natural system of growth, decay, and regrowth, and discontinue a disastrous pattern of material design and use. Backed by irrefutable evidence, the book destroys our comfortable notions of the recycling status quo; explains why recycling will never work in the United States, despite decades of attempts; and introduces a new system that will actually work-without asking consumers to consume less. Supplies an informed perspective from a leader in the consumer beverage industry at one of the world's largest producers of packaged beverages and a researcher in Sweden in the fields of environmental science and supply chain logistics Presents a bold counterargument to the idea that recycling and sustainability programs are inherently beneficial and introduces a new system that will benefit both our environment and economy-without asking consumers to consume less Explains why recycling and sustainability programs are ineffective because they focus solely on doing less harm rather than improving both the economy and the environment