Soil contamination represents a serious environmental problem and requires an immediate action plan to be prepared for typical and emergent contaminants. This book provides an overview of some remediation technologies, both traditional and emergent, as well as case studies based on the contribution from academia and service providers. Several soil and groundwater remediation technologies such as electrokinetic remediation, biological treatments (including phytoremediation), and chemical remediation are presented. Innovative technologies such as nanoremediation and the application of life cycle assessment as a decision tool for soil remediation technologies are also considered in this book. This book serves as a reference source for soil remediation as it includes applications, technologies, and valuable tools that can help in decision making during remediation actions. It can be used by students, researchers, service providers, and industry practitioners.

Processes for clearing gases from dust in wet-type dust separators are widely applied in many industries for technological purposes and environmental control. Among goals of these processes is to ensure high efficiency of dust removal with minimum energy costs.

This book presents the newest scientific research data under the theory and practice of wet clearing of industrial gases from dispersion particles. The authors consider the modern aspects of the separation process and gas-dispersed impurities.

The book covers three main sections on working out and research of the following types of wet gas purifiers: dynamic scrubbers, wet gas clean apparatuses of shock-inertial act, and bubble dust traps. Each section considers the engineering and technological aspects of circuit design, including the theoretical fundamentals of process of gas cleaning, trial and error methods and calculation of apparatuses of wet gas cleaning, and construction of new gas clean apparatuses, their operational characteristics, and recommendations about application

In the literature there are no reliable methods of efficient clearing of gas emissions in scrubbers. This creates complexities at calculation and designing of these apparatuses and also complicates process intensification. The authors develop methods of calculation of process of gas cleaning on the basis of studying of hydrodynamic characteristics of apparatuses.

India has been traditionally well-endowed with large freshwater reserves, but increasing population, urbanization and agricultural growth in recent decades are causing overexploitation of surface and groundwater. As consumption of water grows, wastewater increases significantly and in the absence of proper measures for treatment and management, is polluting existing freshwater reserves. As a result, water pollution has emerged as one of the nation's gravest environmental threats. This book draws a link between water pollution generated by different industries and the various economic activities of the Indian economy using the Input-output framework. It constructs a detailed water pollution coefficient matrix involving different types of water pollutants. The book estimates the total amount of water pollution generated directly and indirectly in different sectors and activities, and also calculates the water pollution content in India's foreign trade sector. It also accounts for defensive expenditure from water pollution and estimates Green GDP for the extent and scope of environmental challenges. Analysis of the result indicates the variation in the pollution content of different economic activities. Finally, the book offers a portfolio of policies and assesses the implications of such policies on pollution generation in India.

Originally published in 1990, this study tracks the issues, progress and problems in environmental issues in the United States from the 1980's. Improvements in air and water quality as well as regulation of hazardous waste and toxic substances has led to new policies such as the Superfund Act and a general increase in awareness about environmental issues on a federal level. Placing an emphasis on economics, these papers analyse the effectiveness of environmental policy and progress made in relation to air pollution, water quality, hazardous wastes, toxic substances and enforcement of regulations. This title will be of interest to students of environmental studies.

Asbestos dust is well-known for causing cancer and other life-threatening illnesses yet still contaminates countless schools, factories and office buildings. This raises the issue of the best way to deal with Asbestos; immediate removal, containment or removal at renovation or demolition. Originally published in 1986, this report aims to evaluate these methods of dealing with asbestos in relation to their cost-effectiveness to conclude the most appropriate solution. This title will be of interest to students of Environmental Studies and Economics.

Contents:
Foreword
Acknowledgments
Contents
List of contributors
List of Figures
List of tables
List of abbreviations
List of Appendices
Preface

CHAPTER 1 SDIs
1.1 Introduction
1.2 Building Spatial Data Infrastructures
1.2.1 Building Human Capacity through Partnerships and Networks
1.2.2 Support Resources for Developing the People Developing SDIs
1.3 Strengthening Institutional Capacity
1.3.1 The Need for Capacity Building to Facilitate SDI Development.
1.3.2 The Role of Research in SDI Development.
1.4 Sustainable Development as a research driver
1.4.1 The Triple Bottom Line
1.4.2 Technology
1.5 SDI development into the future
1.6 Conclusion
1.7 References

CHAPTER 2 Spatial Data Infrastructures:Concept, Nature And SDI Hierarchy
2.1 Introduction
2.2 The Need for Spatial Data
2.2.1 Sharing Spatial Data
2.2.2 Spatial Data and Decision Support Systems
2.3 Spatial Data Infrastructure
2.3.1 SDI Nature and Characteristics
(a) Partnerships
(b) Different Views to Understanding and Development
(c) The Importance of People
(d) Dynamic Nature
2.3.2 Current SDI initiatives (Global, Regional, National, State, Local)
2.4 SDI Hierarchy
2.4.1 The Theory of Hierarchy
(a) Definition of Hierarchy
(b) Purpose and Levels of a Hierarchical Structure
2.4.2 Hierarchical Reasoning
(a) Principles of HSR
(b) Properties of Hierarchies
2.4.3 Different Views on SDI Hierarchy
2.5 Applying Hierarchy Theory on SDIs
2.5.1 Hierarchy Theory and An SDI Hierarchy
2.6 Relationships among Different SDIs
2.7 Conclusion

CHAPTER 3 Global Initiatives
3.1 Introduction
3.2 GSDI
3.2.1 History and Background
3.2.2 SDI Components and Organisational Model
3.2.3 SDI Current Status of Development
3.2.4 Issues and Challenges
3.2.5 Future Plans and Discussion
3.3 Global Map
3.3.1 Background
3.3.2 SDI Components and Organisational Model
(a) Institutional Arrangements
(b) Technical Standards
(c) Fundamental Data
3.3.3 SDI Current Status of Development
3.3.4 Issues and Challenges
3.3.5 Future Plans and Discussion
3.4 Other Multi-National Initiatives
3.5 Evaluation of Global Initiatives
3.6 Recommendations and Future Directions
3.7 References

CHAPTER 4 Regional SDIs
4.1 Introduction
4.2 European Umbrella Organisation For Geographic Information (EUROGI)
4.2.1 History and background
4.2.2. Current Status
4.2.3. Issues and Challenges
4.3 Permanent Committee On GIS Infrastructure For Asia And The Pacific (PCGIAP)
4.3.1 History and Background
4.2.1 Current Status of Development
(a) Institutional Framework
(b) Technical Standards
(c) Fundamental Datasets
(d) Access network
4.3.3 Issues and Challenges
4.3.4 Future Plans and Discussions
4.4 Permanent Committee On Spatial Data Infrastructure For The Americas (PCIDEA)
4.4.2 Current Status
4.4.3 Issues and Challenges
4.5 Comparative Evaluation
4.6 References

CHAPTER 5 Regional SDI Diffusion
5.1 Introduction
5.2 Asia and the Pacific region and Regional SDI activities: a case study
5.2.1 Current Progress of PCGIAP and APSDI development
5.3 SDI Diffusion
5.4 Influencing Factors for Regional SDI Diffusion
5.4.1 Environmental Factors
5.4.2 Capacity Factors
5.4.3 SDI Organisation Factors
5.5 SDI Development Models
5.6 Recommendations
5.6.1 Organisational Restructure
5.6.2 Redesign Future Strategy Based on Asia-Pacific Social System
5.6.3 Modify APSDI Conceptual Model
5.6.4 Adopting SDI Process-Based Model
5.7 Conclusion and Recommendations
5.8 References

CHAPTER 6 National SDI Initiatives
6.1 Introduction
6.2 Overview on National SDI
6.3 Role and Relationships within SDI Hierarchy
6.4 Current Situation
6.4.1 First Generation of National SDI Initiatives
a) Australia SDI
b) USA National SDI
6.4.2 Second Generation of National SDI Initiatives
a) National Geographic Information Infrastructure for Lebanon
b) Iranian National Spatial Data Infrastructure
6.4.3 Comparative Analysis
6.5 Recommendations and Future Directions
6.6 References

CHAPTER 7 State SDI Initiatives
7.1 Introduction
7.2 Spatial Information
8.4.1 ANZLIC
8.4.2 Public Sector Mapping Agencies
8.4.3 Spatial Information Industry Action Agenda
8.4.4 Australian Spatial Information Business Association
8.4.5 Spatial Sciences Coalition
8.4.6 Spatial Information Cooperative Research Centre
8.5 ASDI Implementation
8.5.1 Fundamental Datasets
8.5.2 Australian Spatial Data Directory (ASDD)
8.5.3 ASDI Clearinghouse Definition
8.5.4 Pricing Policy
8.6 Current Issues And Future Directions
8.7 References

CHAPTER 9 State SDI Development: A Victorian Perspective
9.1 Introduction
9.1.1 Administration of Spatial Information
9.1.2 Development of State SDI
9.1.3 Spatial Information for Victoria: Early Beginnings
9.2 Victoria's Strategy for building SDI
9.2.1 Framework Information
9.2.2 Key Business Information
9.2.3 Custody
9.2.4 Metadata
9.2.5 Access Infrastructure
9.2.6 Pricing and Licensing
9.2.7 Spatial Accuracy
9.2.8 Awareness
9.3 Role and Responsibility for Developing Victorian SDI
9.4 Building Blocks Of Victoria's SDI
9.4.1 Land Exchange
9.4.2 Property Information Project (PIP)
9.4.3 Rural Addressing
9.4.4 Online Service Delivery
9.4.5 Land Channel
9.4.6 Land Channel Sales
9.5 Role within the Australian SDI Development
9.5.1 Growing the Private Sector
9.5.2 Participation in Standards Development
9.5.3 Jurisdictional Linkages
9.6 Conclusion
9.7 References

CHAPTER 10 SDI Development: Roles of Local and Corporate SDIs
10.1 Introduction
10.1.1 The Concept of SDI
10.2 Local SDI Development at Geelong
10.2.1 History of Geelong SDI Development
10.2.2 Current Geelong SDI (components and organisation model)
10.2.3 Linkages of Greater Geelong SDI through corporate SDI
10.3 Corporate SDI in multi-level SDI development- the case of DNRE
10.3.1 Catchment and Water
10.3.2 Parks Flora and Fauna
10.3.3. Department wide effort
10.4 Some patterns of SDI development
10.4.1 Some good practices
10.4.2 Two scales of SDI development
10.5 Conclusions
10.6 References

CHAPTER 11 Sustainable Development, the Place for SDIs and the Case for E-Governance
11.1 Introduction
11.2 The Effect on Government
11.2.1 Participatory Administration
11.2.2 Social Capital
11.3 The Role for SDIs
11.4 The Case for E-Governance
11.5 Conclusion

CHAPTER 12 Spatial Data Infrastructures and Descision-Support
12.1 Introduction
12.2 Spatial Decision-Making
12.2.1 Decision Process
12.2.2 Decision Complexity
12.2.3 Participation in Decision-Making
12.2.4 Measuring Reach and Range for Decision Support
12.3 The Role of SDIs in Decision-Support
12.4 Institutional Frameworks to Support Decision-Making
12.4.1 People
12.4.2 Policies
12.4.3 Mechanisms
12.5 The Case for Decision-Enabled SDI
12.6 Conclusions
12.7 References

CHAPTER 13 Financing Spatial Data Infrastructure Development: Examining Alternative Funding Models
13.1 Introduction
13.2 The Economic issues of SDI implementation
13.3 The Concept of SDI Funding Models
13.3.1 Funding Models of the First Generation of SDIs
13.4 Alternative Funding Models
13.4.1 Infrastructure Classification
(a) Natural Monopoly
13.4.2 Funding Models for SDIs Classified as Classic Infrastructures/Natural Monopolies
13.4.3 Funding Models for SDIs Classified as Network Infrastructures
13.5 Customizing the Alternative Funding Models for Emerging Nations
13.6 Conclusion
13.7 References

CHAPTER 14 Developing Evaluation and Performance Indicators for SDIs
14.1 Introduction
14.2 Land Administration Systems and the Role of SDIs
14.3 Evaluation And A Framework For Evaluation
14.4 Evaluation of SDIs
14.5 Conclusions
14.6 References


CHAPTER 15 Administrative Boundary Design in Support of SDI Objectives
15.1 Introduction
15.2 A Definition of the Spatial Hierarchy Problem
15.2.1 The First Solution: surface modelling
15.2.2 The Second Solution: data interpolation
15.2.3 The Third Solution: derived boundaries
15.2.4 The Fourth Solution: re-aggregation
15.3 Administrative Boundaries within SDI
15.3.1 Access
15.3.2 People
15.3.3 Data
(a) Confidentiality
(b) The modifiable-area-unit problem (MAUP)
15.3.4 Technical standards
(a) Hierarchical spatial reasoning (HSR) applied to administrative boundaries
(b) The structure of administrative boundaries
15.3.5 Policy
15.3.6 Summary
15.4 Conclusion
15.5 References

CHAPTER 16 SDI and Location Based Wireless Applications
16.1 Introduction
16.2 SDI as a foundation for location based services
16.3 Augmenting the SDI Model
16.3.1 Access Network
16.3.2 Policies
16.3.3 Standards
16.3.4 Data
16.3.5 People
16.4 Framework to Facilitate Wireless Applications
16.4.1 SDI Requirements
16.4.2 User Environment
16.5 Case Study
16.5.1 Use Case Scenarios
16.6 Discussion, Recommendations and Future Directions
16.7 References

CHAPTER 17 SDI and Positional Accuracy
17.1 Introduction
17.2 SDI And Positional Accuracy
17.3 Some Definitions
17.3.1 Reference Systems and Reference Frames
17.3.2 Dynamic Reference Frames
17.3.3 Height Datums
17.3.4 Coordinate Systems
17.3.5 Error
17.3.6 Positional Accuracy
17.3.7 Precision
17.4 Spatial Data Referencing
17.5 Transforming between different reference frames
17.6 Measuring and Recording Positional ACCURACY
17.7 Case Study 1: The GEOcentric datum of Australia
17.8 Case Study 2: PCGIAP
17.9 Conclusions And Recommendations
17.10 References

CHAPTER 18 Future Direction for SDI Development
18.1 Introduction
18.2 SDI Development Issues
18.3 SDI Development Models
18.3.1 The Product and Process-based Models
18.3.2 Assessment of Current SDI Initiatives
18.4 Relationships between SDI Hierarchy and different Models of SDI Development
18.5 Conclusion and Recommendations
18.6 References

Despite the efforts of Southeast Asian governments and of ASEAN, transboundary haze continues to be a major environmental problem in Southeast Asia. This book demonstrates that the issue is complex, and explains why efforts to solve the problem in purely political terms are ineffective, and likely to continue to be ineffective. The book shows how state-led, state-incentivised agribusiness development lies at the heart of the problem, leading to a large rise in palm oil production, with extensive clearing of forests, leading to deliberate or accidental fires and the resulting haze. Moreover, although the forest clearing is occurring in Indonesia, many of the companies involved are Malaysian and Singaporean; and, further, many of these companies have close relationships with the politicians and officials responsible for addressing the problem and who thereby have a conflict of interest. The author concludes by discussing the huge difficulties involved in overturning this system of 'patronage politics'.

Remediation of groundwater is complex and often challenging. But the cost of pump and treat technology, coupled with the dismal results achieved, has paved the way for newer, better technologies to be developed. Among these techniques is permeable reactive barrier (PRB) technology, which allows groundwater to pass through a buried porous barrier that either captures the contaminants or breaks them down. And although this approach is gaining popularity, there are few references available on the subject. Until now. Permeable Reactive Barrier: Sustainable Groundwater Remediation brings together the information required to plan, design/model, and apply a successful, cost-effective, and sustainable PRB technology. With contributions from pioneers in this area, the book covers state-of-the-art information on PRB technology. It details design criteria, predictive modeling, and application to contaminants beyond petroleum hydrocarbons, including inorganics and radionuclides. The text also examines implementation stages such as the initial feasibility assessment, laboratory treatability studies (including column studies), estimation of PRB design parameters, and development of a long-term monitoring network for the performance evaluation of the barrier. It also outlines the predictive tools required for life cycle analysis and cost/performance assessment. A review of current PRB technology and its applications, this book includes case studies that exemplify the concepts discussed. It helps you determine when to recommend PRB, what information is needed from the site investigation to design it, and what regulatory validation is required.

While international negotiations to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions have been less than satisfactory, there is a presumption that a significant level of multi-lateral commitment will be realized at some point. International air and marine travel have been left to one side in past talks because the pursuit of agreement proceeds on the basis of commitment by sovereign nations and the effects of these specific commercial activities are, by their nature, difficult to corral and assign to specific national jurisdictions. However, air travel is increasing and, unless something is done, emissions from this segment of our world economy will form a progressively larger percentage of the total, especially as emissions fall in other activities. This book focuses on fuel. The aim is to provide background in technical and policy terms, from the broadest reliable sources of information available, for the necessary discourse on society's reaction to the evolving aviation emissions profile. It considers what policy has been, why and how commercial air travel is committed to its current liquid fuel, how that fuel can be made without using fossil-source materials, and the barriers to change. It also advances some elements of policy remedies that make sense in providing an environmentally and economically sound way forward in a context that comprehends a more complete vision of sustainability than 'renewable fuels' traditionally have. The goal of Will Sustainability Fly? is to broaden and contextualize the knowledge resource available to academics, policy makers, air industry leaders and stakeholders, and interested members of the public.

This volume covers a wide range of adsorption activities of porous carbon (PC), CNTs, and carbon nano structures that have been employed so far for the removal of various pollutants from water, wastewater, and organic compounds. The low cost, high efficiency, simplicity, and ease in the upscaling of adsorption processes using PC make the adsorption technique attractive for the removal and recovery of organic compounds. The activated carbon modification process has also been of interest to overcome some of the limitations of the adsorbents.

Due to a large specific surface area, and small, hollow, and layered structures, CNTs and carbon nano structures have been investigated as promising adsorbents for various metal ions. Inorganic and organic pollutants can be easily modified by chemical treatment to increase their adsorption capacity. There is the huge hope that nanotubes applications will lead to a cleaner and healthier environment. A brief summary of these modeling methods is reviewed in this volume.

Also, two important simulation methods, the Monte Carlo and the Molecular Dynamic, are included in this volume. The presence of micro and mesopores is essential for many researchers aiming to control micro or mesoporosity. The present volume attempts to give a general view of the recent activities on the study of pore structure control, with application novel simulation and modeling methods and the necessity and importance of this controlling. This volume also provides a brief overview of the methodology and modeling beside simulation methods for characterization of nanoporous carbons by using adsorption isotherm parameters.

Today's beleaguered yet expanding carbon market represents a type of relationship between economy and ecology scarcely imaginable forty years ago. This collection brings together a comprehensive array of perspectives to critically scrutinise the development and on-going maintenance of this global carbon market. The book's contributors recognise that the market itself, as well as the notion of the environment that it instantiates, is highly political and contested; thus the chapters investigate the market system and its insertion into and influence on climate and environmental governance within the global political economy. The book does this by analysing the routines, institutions, techniques and technologies established or refuted through practices of social and material negotiation. As well as an examination of the carbon market from a political perspective, the book includes contributions that equally interrogate what politics means, does and requires within climate and environmental governance. The book is organised into three sections.The first section investigates the political developments, technical arrangements and contextualising factors that lead up to the implementation of the carbon markets. The second section interrogates the social, political, material, technical and technological details of the carbon markets, as well as the relationship and connections between these details and the broader political economics/ecologic context. The final section asks what the political impacts and consequences of the markets are, what they mean for the climate governance regime and how they impact on the broader capitalist systems.

How does the state separate music from noise? How can such filtering apparatus shape the content and form of sound production in the city? As a marker of co-presence to the hearing body, sound is always open to (or rather opens up) the politics of shared existence. In the throes of the post-dictatorship period, Brazil's legislative and executive branches implemented a series of sweeping measures to address quality of life concerns, including environmental pollution and urban inequality. In Sao Paulo, noise control became a recurrent controversy, growing in size and scale between the 1990s and 2010s. Together with the much-debated fear of crime and the socioeconomic and cultural tensions between the rich urban center and the poor peripheries, such ecological agendas against noise as a harmful pollutant have reconfigured the presence of environmental sounds in the city. In this book, Cardoso argues that the framing of specific sounds as unavoidable, unnecessary, or as harmful "noise" has been an effective strategy to organize spaces and administer group behavior in this rapidly expanding city. He focuses on two interrelated processes. First, the series of institutional regulatory mechanisms that turn sounds into the all-embracing "noise" susceptible to state intervention. Second, the constant attempts of interested groups in either attaching or detaching specific sounds (musical events, industrial noise, traffic noise, religious sounds, etc.) from regulatory scrutiny. Sound-politics is the dynamics that emerges from both processes - the channels through which sounds enter (and leave) the sphere of state regulation.

This volume seeks to cover the latest scientific developments in the field of air pollution modeling. It contains papers and posters presented at the 26th NATO/CCMS International Technical Meeting on Air Pollution Modelling and Its Application held in Istanbul Technical University, Turkey, May 2003.
Major topics covered include: the role of atmospheric models in air pollution policy and abatement strategies (air quality, risk assessment, emergency responses). Integrated regional modelling (local and urban effects, mesoscale phenomena, regional modelling, one and two way nesting, application of existing models). Global and long-range transport (synoptic, hemispheric & global scales, application of existing models). Aerosols as atmospheric contaminants (human exposure and health effects, direct and indirect climate effects, visibility reduction). New developments (microscale to global scale, new models, new extensions to existing models, inverse modelling, data assimilation). Model assessment and verification (model assessment, design of field experiments, use of on-site meteorological data, limits to predictability).
Applications of new concepts in different regions of the world are also presented. The domain of the modeling covers all geographical sizes from global down to regional, local, urban and canyon sizes.

The aim and purpose of this book is to provide an understanding of the current science underpinning Carbon Capture and Sequestration (CCS) and to provide students and interested researchers with sufficient background on the basics of chemical engineering, material science, and geology that they can understand the current state of the art of the research in the field of CCS. In addition, the book provides a comprehensive discussion of the impact on CCS on the energy landscape, society, and climate as these topics govern the success of the science being done in this field. The book is aimed at undergraduate students, graduate students, scientists, and professionals who would like to gain a broad multidisciplinary view of the research that is being carried out to solve one of biggest challenges of our generation.

Spatiotemporal Analysis of Air Pollution and Its Application in Public Health reviews, in detail, the tools needed to understand the spatial temporal distribution and trends of air pollution in the atmosphere, including how this information can be tied into the diverse amount of public health data available using accurate GIS techniques. By utilizing GIS to monitor, analyze and visualize air pollution problems, it has proven to not only be the most powerful, accurate and flexible way to understand the atmosphere, but also a great way to understand the impact air pollution has in diverse populations. This book is essential reading for novices and experts in atmospheric science, geography and any allied fields investigating air pollution.

The aim and purpose of this book is to provide an understanding of the current science underpinning Carbon Capture and Sequestration (CCS) and to provide students and interested researchers with sufficient background on the basics of chemical engineering, material science, and geology that they can understand the current state of the art of the research in the field of CCS. In addition, the book provides a comprehensive discussion of the impact on CCS on the energy landscape, society, and climate as these topics govern the success of the science being done in this field. The book is aimed at undergraduate students, graduate students, scientists, and professionals who would like to gain a broad multidisciplinary view of the research that is being carried out to solve one of biggest challenges of our generation.

One of the most challenging environmental threats to the ten countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has been the haze, the sickening and deadly cloud of smoky pollution caused by widespread burning of land and forests in Indonesia. This book examines both the threat and response to it by analysing environmental cooperation in Southeast Asia from an international regime perspective. Tracing the development of regional cooperation on the haze and evaluating the effectiveness of the cooperation, the author argues that the haze crisis, combined with the economic crisis of 1997, has profoundly challenged the ASEAN modus operandi, and resulted in ASEAN's efforts to establish an environmental regime to cope with environmental challenges. The emerging ASEAN haze regime is a unique case study of a regional environmental institution in multi-levelled global environmental governance. Based on in-depth original research, this case study is integrated into international relations, political science, and comparative political analysis literatures and contributes to a better understanding of processes within the regional organisation.

Ecological Management of Mining: Achieving Environmental Compliance is a study and comparison - global in scope - of current practices used by mining firms striving for ecological management. The author takes an integrated and interdisciplinary approach in addressing, analyzing and working towards solutions regarding the complex challenges posed by managing the environmental impacts of mining. The issues addressed range from the ecotoxicological effects of metal residues to the land use effects of mining and from socioeconomic impacts to environmental regulation. The goal of this book is to assist mining companies throughout the world to achieve environmental compliance and improve competitiveness in the context of growing environmental regulation and technological innovation. It is an essential book for the wide variety of professionals working on issues in mining. Like the book and the research itself, the audience is integrated and interdisciplinary including engineers, planners, ecologists, policy makers and economists. Features

This book presents a number of innovative uses of fly ash. Fly ash is a fine powder that is a byproduct of burning pulverized coal in thermal power plants. It is a pozzolan - a substance containing aluminous and siliceous material that when mixed with lime and water forms a compound similar to Portland cement. Though fly ash was a problem in terms of its disposal, it now has a variety of uses, such as a prime material in blocks, bricks, and PCC paving, and further applications are being investigated. As such, the recovery and reuse of fly ash wastes plays an important role in the implementation of the circular economy concept. Featuring selected, high-quality research papers presented at IconSWM 2018, the book provides valuable insights for the recycling industries, power plants, researchers, and governments.

This book identifies four key forms of air pollution: indoor, urban, regional and global. It discusses how these four types of pollution are manifest in today's society and examines the scientific and policy challenges that stand in the way of progress. Written in a style that balances scientific underpinnings with accessible language, Pearson and Derwent examine the sources and historical context of air pollutants, before dedicating a chapter to each of the key forms. Armed with these basics, they begin to address the challenges faced by improving indoor, urban and regional air quality, whilst reducing global warming in the years ahead. This leads to a greater understanding of the challenges of global climate change, with new proposals for reducing global warming. However, the authors conclude that it is only when we have a scenario of reforestation combined with reductions in emissions of all greenhouse gases that real progress will be made in the fight against climate change. Then, air pollution will also be consigned to history. With a foreword written by Professor James Lovelock, this book will be of great interest to students and scholars of climate change and environmental policy, as well as air quality professionals working in this important field.

Microbial or biological degradation has long been the subject of active concern, and the rapid expansion and growing sophistication of various industries in the last century has significantly increased the volume and complexity of toxic residues of wastes. These can be remediated by plants and microbes, either natural origin or adapted for a specific purpose, in a process known as bioremediation. The interest in microbial biodegradation of pollutants has intensified in recent years in an attempt to find sustainable ways to clean contaminated environments. These bioremediation and biotransformation methods take advantage of the tremendous microbial catabolic diversity to degrade, transform or accumulate a variety of compounds, such as hydrocarbons, polychlorinated biphenyls, polaromatic hydrocarbons pharmaceutical substances, radionuclides and metals. Unlike conventional methods, bioremediation does not physically disturb the site. This book describes the basic principles of biodegradation and shows how these principles are related to bioremediation. Authored by leading, international environmental microbiologists, it discusses topics such as aerobic biodegradation, microbial degradation of pollutants, and microbial community dynamics. It provides valuable insights into how biodegration processes work and can be utilised for pollution abatement, and as such appeals to researchers and postgraduate students as well as experts in the field of bioremediation.

This book discusses the history of nuclear decommissioning as a science and industry. It explores the early, little-known period when the term "decommissioning" was not used in the nuclear context and the end-of-life operations of a nuclear facility were a low priority. It then describes the subsequent period when decommissioning was recognized as a separate phase of the nuclear lifecycle, before bringing readers up to date with today's state of the art. The author addresses decommissioning as a mature industry in an era in which large, commercial nuclear reactors and other fuel-cycle installations have been fully dismantled, and their sites returned to other uses. The book also looks at the birth, growth and maturity of decommissioning, focusing on how new issues emerged, how these were gradually addressed, and the lessons learned from them. Further, it examines the technologies and management advances in science and industry that followed these solutions. Nuclear Decommissioning is a point of reference for industry researchers and decommissioning practitioners looking to enrich their knowledge of decommissioning in recent decades as well as the modern industry. The book is also of interest to historians and students who wish to learn more about the history of nuclear decommissioning.

Climate change policy and the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions are currently discussed at all scales, ranging from the Kyoto Protocol to the increasingly frequent advertisement of ''carbon neutrality'' in consumer products. However, the only policy option usually considered is the reduction of direct emissions. Another potential policy tool, currently neglected, is the reduction of indirect emissions, i.e., the emissions embodied in goods and services, or the payments thereof. This book addresses the accounting of indirect carbon emissions (as embodied in international trade) within the framework of input-output analysis and derives an indicator of environmental responsibility as the average of consumer and producer responsibility. A global multi-regional input-output model is built, using databases on international trade and greenhouse gas emissions, from which embodied carbon emissions and carbon responsibilities are obtained. Carbon Responsibility and Embodied Emissions consists of a theoretical part, concerning the choice of environmental indicators, and an applied part, reporting an environmental multi-regional input-output model. It will be of particular interest to postgraduate students and researchers in Ecological Economics, Environmental Input-Output Analysis, and Industrial Ecology.

This book focuses on issues related to a suite of technologies known as "Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS)," which can be used to capture and store underground large amounts of industrial CO2 emissions. It addresses how CCS should work, as well as where, why, and how these technologies should be deployed, emphasizing the gaps to be filled in terms of research and development, technology, regulations, economics, and public acceptance. The book is divided into three parts. The first part helps clarify the global context in which greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions can be analyzed, highlights the importance of fossil-fuel producing and consuming nations in positively driving clean fossil-fuel usage, and discusses the applicability of this technology on a global and regional level in a timely yet responsible manner. The second part provides a comprehensive overview of present and future technologies for the three elements of the CCS chain: CO2 capture, transport, and geological storage. The third part addresses the key drivers for CCS deployment worldwide. It provides analysis and assessment of the economic, regulatory, social, and environmental aspects associated with CCS development and deployment on a global scale. It offers a somewhat different perspective on CCS deployment by highlighting the environmental and socio-economic costs and benefits of CCS solutions compared to alternatives. The book concludes with potential options and guidelines for sustainable and responsible CCS scale-up as a way to address prevailing global energy, environment, and climate concerns.

Although it is widely recognized that environmental factors such as smoking, diet, exercise, and socioeconomic status affect the risk of cardiovascular disease, recent work showing the effects of other environmental factors provides a more complete assessment of the situation. This view has emerged from three developments. Firstly, there has been a sudden explosion in the prevalence of diabetes and obesity which indicates a strong environmental component. Secondly, there is an accumulation of evidence suggesting that most cases of these diseases could be prevented by healthy lifestyle choices. Finally, studies have shown that exposure to environmental pollutants has a significant effect on heart disease risk. This book is the first to provide a comprehensive account of the effects of pollutants on heart disease and to integrate this area of research within the overall theme of environmental cardiology. The introductory chapter outlines the effects of different aspects of the environment on heart disease and provides a context for the discussion that follows. Subsequent chapters give an overview of the effects of particulate matter and discuss the epidemiological studies supporting the link. The book then goes on to cover the effects of pollution on different aspects of cardiovascular disease (hypertension, stroke, heart failure, ischemic heart disease and atherogenesis). Because of a close association between diabetes and heart disease, a discussion of the effects of particulate matter on diabetes is also included. Later chapters discuss the effects of individual pollutants such as vehicular emissions, metals and aldehydes. A review on manufactured nanoparticles is incorporated because these particles represent an important new threat to cardiovascular health. The understanding that emerges from this monograph suggests that we must be more alert to the effects of the environment and develop strategies that target, not only the diseased individual, but also the unhealthy, disease-causing environment. It is essential reading for cardiologists, epidemiologists, urban planners and pollution control specialists.