This book shows how the use of biodegradable plastics in agriculture can have a profound positive impact on plasticulture. Starting with an organic chemistry approach to biodegradable and compostable plastics, both natural and synthetic, it then analyzes the technological and agronomic aspects of existing bioplastics for protected cultivation (mulching, direct cover, low tunnels). It describes the new sprayable biodegradable mulching method, which is based on the use of waterborne polysaccharides and cellulosic fibers. A further chapter describes the research and technology of biodegradable plastics for different agricultural practices. It also includes chapters on life cycle assessment (LCA) of biodegradable plastics for agriculture, and existing and developing standards in the field. It is a valuable resource for agronomists, chemical and materials engineers, polymer technologists and scientists, as well as for a more general readership interested in the application of green chemistry principles to the vast world of crop production. Mario Malinconico< is Research Director at the Institute of Polymers, Composites and Biomaterials, National Research Council, Italy.

This book aims to identify the challenges presented by current urban environmental governance practices in fast growing Indian cities, to propose changes to the current governance implementation strategies, and to explore the best practices to achieve sustainable urban models through Indian and global perspectives. With a focus on the city of Bengaluru, the book draws on extensive reviews of literature and data to present current trends and statuses of environmental resource use in growing urban centres of India.The book analyzes the situations that impact urban environmental governance decisions and outcomes and proposes solutions to address these issues for long-term sustainability. Policy makers, researchers, academics and development practitioners in environmental politics and urban governance will find this work of great interest. The book starts by examining different urban environmental threats on global and domestic levels, and provides evidence for the effectiveness of sustainable efforts to curb the impact of crisis-like scenarios. Then the book discusses the role of institutional regimes in influencing urban environmental outcomes through policies, and analyzes the role of various actors in the evolution of urban environmental governance from a legal perspective at global and local scales. In the final chapters, the book explores the trends and status of environmental resource management in Bangalore Metropolitan Area (BMA), and examines the dynamics of local institutions and governance structures for regulating environmental governance for promoting effective sustainable environmental governance in Bengaluru.

This book summarizes recent research and development in the field of nanostructured ceramics and their composites. It presents selected examples of ceramic materials with special electronic, catalytic and optical properties and exceptional mechanical characteristics. A special focus is on sol-gel based and organic-inorganic hybrid nanoceramic materials. The book highlights examples for preparation techniques including scale-up, properties of smart ceramic composites, and applications including e.g. waste water treatment, heavy metal removal, sensors, electronic devices and fuel cells. Recent challenges are addressed and potential solutions are suggested for these. This book hence addresses chemists, materials scientists, and engineers, working with nanoceramic materials and on their applications.

This book details three main topics: the screening and characterization of hydrocarbons from air, soil and water; technologies in the biodegradation of hydrocarbons; and the bioconversion of hydrocarbons for biofuel/chemicals, as well as recent developments in the remediation of hydrocarbons and their environmental benefits. The first section focuses on screening methods, qualitative and quantitative analysis of hydrocarbons from soil, air and water environments, speciation of hydrocarbons, and natural bioremediation strategies in such environments. The second section examines technologies for removing hydrocarbon contaminants from various environments, especially advanced technologies for the removal of hydrocarbons and in-situ and ex-situ remediation strategies and problems, as well as concrete case studies. The last section, covering the bioconversion of hydrocarbons for biofuel/chemicals, highlights the biochemicals and bioproducts developed from hydrocarbons, with a particular focus on biochemical and chemical technologies used to produce biopolymers, biofuel precursors and commodity chemicals from hydrocarbons.

This book analyzes the relationship between large-scale industrial activity and the carbon footprint, and provides a theoretical framework and tools to calculate the carbon footprint of industrial activities at every stage of their life cycles, including urban-planning master plans, recycling activities, project and building stages as well as managing and manufacturing. Discussing the main preventative and corrective measures that can be utilized, it includes case studies, reports on technological developments and examples of successful policies to provide inspiration to readers. This book collects the contributions of authors from four continents, in order to analyze from as many as possible points of view and using many different approaches, the problem of sustainability in today's globalized world.

This book is based on research and observations undertaken for the author's PhD thesis at the National University of Ireland, and represents a case study of national and regional campaigns against both the Irish state's Regional Waste Management Plans and the corporate sector's attempts to develop waste incinerators or dumps in various parts of Ireland. This book provides an in depth account of the mobilizing patterns and framing processes of community campaigns which emerged in the wake of the Irish state's introduction of regional plans for waste management, which included plans for municipal 'waste to energy' plants or incinerators. It is the only book with a sole focus on this aspect of Irish society during the 'Celtic Tiger' boom which preceded the current economic downturn, and examines policy, population, development social issues and local and national electoral processes in detail at a time of immense change in the Republic of Ireland. As such, it provides a salient insight into the societal shifts which provide opportunities for social movements to oppose state or corporate plans which may be perceived to have human health or environmental risks associated with them.

This book offers a problem-and-solution approach to environmental remediation in mining, including the environmentally sustainable utilization of waste materials from the mining industry. It largely comprises articles published in Springer journals, which have been thoroughly revised and expanded. With supplementary data and illustrations, it discusses specific problem areas in relevant Caribbean locations and provides an overview of geotechnical and microbial solutions to prevent post-mining deterioration in this area.

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

This book introduces a new technology for environmental protection, namely plasma cleaning. It brings together technological advances and research on plasma generators and their application in environmental science and engineering, including contaminated soil remediation, waste water degradation, metal recovery from waste solution, sterilization and polluted air remediation. It provides a balanced and comprehensive discussion of the core principles, novel plasma reactors and diagnostics, and state-of-the-art environmental applications of plasma. As such, it represents a valuable reference guide for scientists, engineers and graduate students in the fields of environmental science and plasma physics.

This book is written by Dr. Hui Zhou as a Ph.D. dissertation in Tsinghua University, China. It establishes the thermochemical characteristics of model compounds in combustible solid waste (CSW), and delineates the influence of different factors on the thermochemical characteristics and the influence interactions between model components have on the thermochemical characteristics. The works provide a theoretical basis for the clean and high-efficiency utilization of CSW as well as the basic knowledge for further understanding the thermochemical conversion mechanisms of complex fuels. Researchers and engineers in the field of thermal engineering and environmental engineering can benefit from the book.

This book focuses on an important technology for mineralizing and utilizing CO2 instead of releasing it into the atmosphere. CO2 mineralization and utilization demonstrated in the waste-to-resource supply chain can "reduce carbon dependency, promote resource and energy efficiency, and lessen environmental quality degradation," thereby reducing environmental risks and increasing economic benefits towards Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). In this book, comprehensive information on CO2 mineralization and utilization via accelerated carbonation technology from theoretical and practical considerations was presented in 20 Chapters. It first introduces the concept of the carbon cycle from the thermodynamic point of view and then discusses principles and applications regarding environmental impact assessment of carbon capture, storage and utilization technologies. After that, it describes the theoretical and practical considerations for "Accelerated Carbonation (Mineralization)" including analytical methods, and systematically presents the carbonation mechanism and modeling (process chemistry, reaction kinetics and mass transfer) and system analysis (design and analysis of experiments, life cycle assessment and cost benefit analysis). It then provides physico-chemical properties of different types of feedstock for CO2 mineralization and then explores the valorization of carbonated products as green materials. Lastly, an integral approach for waste treatment and resource recovery is introduced, and the carbonation system is critically assessed and optimized based on engineering, environmental, and economic (3E) analysis. The book is a valuable resource for readers who take scientific and practical interests in the current and future Accelerated Carbonation Technology for CO2 Mineralization and Utilization.

This book provides an overview of paste tailings disposal at mine sites. It deals comprehensively with the characterization of sulphide-rich tailings, geotechnical and microstructural behaviour, surface tailings disposal applications, underground paste backfilling, and case studies. The authors place emphasis on the characterization, monitoring, disposal and treatment, as well as environmental considerations of problematic sulphidic tailings. The framework is supported by worldwide case studies.

"The federal Superfund program for cleaning up America's inactive toxic waste sites is noteworthy not only for its enormous cost - $15.2 billion has been authorized thus far - but also for its unique design. The legislation that created Superfund provided the Environmental Protection Agency with a diverse set of policy tools. Preeminent among them is a civil liability scheme that imposes responsibility for multimillion dollar cleanups on businesses and government units linked - even tangentially - to hazardous waste sites. Armed with this potent policy implement, the agency can order the parties who are legally responsible for the toxic substances at a site to clean it up, with large fines and damages for failure to comply. EPA can also offer conciliatory measures to bring about voluntary, privately financed cleanup; or it can launch a cleanup initially paid for by Superfund and later force the responsible parties to reimburse the government. In this book, Thomas W. Church and Robert T. Nakamura provide the first in-depth study of Superfund operations at hazardous waste sites. They examine six Superfund cleanups, including three regions and both 'hard' and 'easy' sites, to ask 'what works?' Based on detailed case studies, the book describes various strategies that have been applied by government regulators and lawyers and the responses to those different strategies by businesses and local government officials. The authors characterize the implementation strategies used by the EPA as prosecution, accommodation, and public works. They point out that the choice of strategy involves setting priorities among Superfund's competing objectives. They conclude that the best implementation strategy is one that considers the context of each site and the particular priorities in each case. Looking toward the reauthorization of Superfund, they also offer recommendations for improvements in the organization of the program and discuss proposals for change in its liability scheme. "

This book highlights the various technologies that are currently available or are now being developed for the green and smart buildings of the future. It examines why green building performance is important, and how it can be measured and rated using appropriate benchmarking systems. Lastly, the book provides an overview of the state-of-the-art in green building technologies and the trend towards zero energy or net positive energy buildings in the future.

Matters related to sustainable development, albeit global in nature, are best handled at the local level. This line of thinking is particularly true to the higher education context, where the design and implementation of sustainability initiatives on campuses can demonstrate how a given university translates the principles of sustainable development into practice, at the institutional level. Yet, there is a paucity of specific events where a dialogue among sustainability academics and practitioners concerned with a) research, projects b) teaching and c) planning and infra-structure leading to campus greening takes place, so as to allow a transdisciplinary and cross-sectoral exchange of ideas and experiences on the issues, matters and problems at hand. It is against this background that this book has been prepared. It is one of the outcomes of the "First Symposium on Sustainability in University Campuses" (SSUC-2017) organised by the University of Sao Paulo in Brazil, Manchester Metropolitan University (UK), the Research and Transfer Centre "Applications of Life Sciences" of the Hamburg University of Applied Sciences (Germany), and the Inter-University Sustainable Development Research Programme (IUSDRP). This book showcases examples of campus-based research and teaching projects, regenerative campus design, low-carbon and zero carbon buildings, waste prevention, and resilient transport, among others. It also demonstrates the role of campuses as platforms for transformative social learning and research, and explores the means via which university campuses can be made more sustainable. The aims of this publication are as follows: i. to provide universities with an opportunity to obtain information on campus greening and sustainable campus development initiatives from round the world; ii. to document and promote information, ideas and experiences acquired in the execution of research, teaching and projects on campus greening and design, especially successful initiatives and good practice; iii. to introduce methodological approaches and projects which aim to integrate the topic of sustainable development in campus design and operations. This book entails contributions from researchers and practitioners in the field of campus greening and sustainable development in the widest sense, from business and economics, to arts, administration and environment.

This edited volume deals with the attempts made by the scientists and practitioners to address contemporary issues in geoenvironmental engineering such as characterization of dredged sediments, geomaterials and waste, valorization of waste, sustainability in waste management and some other geoenvironmental issues that are becoming quite relevant in today's world especially in view of the high urbanization rates, advancement in technologies, and changes in consumption behavior of people. In this regard, wastes generated through the daily activities of individuals and organizations pose many challenges in their management. The volume is based on the best contributions to the 2nd GeoMEast International Congress and Exhibition on Sustainable Civil Infrastructures, Egypt 2018 - The official international congress of the Soil-Structure Interaction Group in Egypt (SSIGE).

Radioactive waste (above all highly radioactive wastes from nuclear installations) caused by research, medicine and technology must be disposed of safely. However both the strategies disputed for the disposal of radioactive waste as well as concrete proposals for choosing a location for final waste disposal are highly debatable.
An appropriate disposal must conform to both complex, technical requirements and fulfill the radio-biological conditions to appropriately protect man and nature. Ethical, legal and social conditions must also be considered. An interdisciplinary team from various, relevant fields compiled the current status-quo and developed criteria and strategies, which on the one hand meet the requirements of optimal warning and prevention of risk for present and future generations, and additionally on the other hand meet the needs of what current society agrees what is expected to be allowed.
This study can be understood as an advanced and continuing contribution to the corresponding scientific specialized debates, due to its interdisciplinary treatment. At the same time it serves as a fundamentally informing contribution to public and political debates, offering an easily comprehensible executive summary and precise content recommendations.

This book provides a comprehensive description of alkaline hydrometallurgy of amphoteric metal hazardous wastes. Topics focus on leaching of zinc and lead hazardous wastes, purification of leach solution of zinc and lead, electrowinning of zinc and lead from purified alkaline solutions, chemical reactions taking place in the production flowsheets, thermodynamic and spent electrolyte regeneration, alkaline hydrometallurgy of low-grade smithsonite ores, recovery of molybdenum and tungsten using ion flotation and solvent extraction processes and their application in chemical synthesis of Nb and Ta inorganic compounds, and industrial scale production of 1500-2000 t/a zinc powder using alkaline leaching-electrowinning processes. Processes described are cost-effective, generate lesser secondary pollutants, and have been applied widely in China. Readers that will find the book appealing include solid waste engineers, environmental managers, technicians, recycling coordinators, government officials, undergraduates and graduate students, and researchers.

This book provides an essential overview of ecotechnologies (also known as green infrastructure or nature-based solutions) which are considered to be relatively resilient to variations in stormwater and wastewater inflow. In particular, it focuses on various types of constructed wetlands, biofilters and ponds. Stormwater flows are inherently variable, due to rainfall events and fluctuations in loading. This variability has significant effects on the performance of treatment systems, but has rarely been specifically addressed in design manuals, performance assessments or modelling. The book's respective chapters cover the main contaminant categories of interest (nutrients, faecal microbes, metals and emerging contaminants) and their removal processes using ecotechnologies, addressing urban, industrial and agricultural applications. In addition, they review modelling tools with the potential to improve our understanding of flow variability and the ability to simulate and predict responses to it.

This book provides transdisciplinary analyses of the automotive plastics production and recycling system, including prognoses, scenarios and solutions for corporate sustainability management. A book on plastics, not written by a plastics guy. But a sustainability guy. Plastics schizophrenia and the automotive abyss: The industry is facing a severe challenge. It is the inevitable and promising change towards a sustainable economy. However, the automotive industry is primarily concerned with the CO2 emissions from cars when driving, while the rise of lightweight plastics, electric drive and heavy batteries make the production and end-of-life phase ever more important. Therefore, the currently increasing use of non-sustainable virgin plastics in cars has to be tackled. The plastics and the automotive industry now have a chance, and this chance is the Recycling Renaissance. This book offers: * Holistic and transdisciplinary overview on sustainability and automotive plastics from all angles including economy, ecology, technology, and politics with a focus on Europe * Concise analyses, prognoses, tools and a roadmap with solutions for companies, developed together with international experts from industry and academia * Strong scientific basis and independent research including a Europe-wide survey, expert interviews, and workshops * More than 80 illustrations and 15 tables including a SCOT analysis * Executive summaries after each chapter for fast reading "The uniqueness of this book lies within the different point of view on this topic from a critical, outstanding scientist." - Univ.-Prof. Dipl.-Ing. Dr.mont. Pomberger, Montanuni Leoben

The Business of Mining complete set of three Focus books will provide readers with a holistic all-embracing appraisal of the analytical tools available for assessing the economic viability of prospective mines. Each volume has a discrete focus. This first volume presents an overview of the mining business, followed by an analysis of project variables and risk, an overall coverage of the royalty agreements, pricing and contract systems followed by a final chapter on accounting standards and practises for the minerals industry. The books were written primarily for undergraduate applied geologists, mining engineers and extractive metallurgists and those pursuing course-based postgraduate programs in mineral economics. However, the complete series will also be an extremely useful reference text for practicing mining professionals as well as for consultant geologists, mining engineers or primary metallurgists.

The papers in this volume have been written and brought together by a group of experts, each of whom deals with radioactive waste management on a daily basis, as well as having the deep knowledge and level of expertise that only industry insiders can achieve. Topics covered here include: treatment issues; waste mangement practice; transport and storage; and environment and regulations. "Radioactive Waste Management 2000" contains business scenarios from around the world, offering an understanding of operating conditions, regulatory issues and resources available in various countries. Those involved in strategy and implementation should find new insights and solutions. This book should prove useful to all those individuals and companies with an interest or involvement in the radioactive waste management industry.

The magnitude of the food-waste disposal problem cannot be understated. Utilisation of food waste is of concern to the food processing industry, consumers, environmentalists, and regulators of handling and disposal systems. Food waste is not consistent in quality, is usually high in moisture content, and is only available locally. This book focuses on the challenges of utilising both wet and/or processed food waste. The regulatory environment relating to food waste, the perspective of the end-users, and practical use as animal feed is also discussed. One of the goals of this publication, other than to give a clear explanation of the subject of food waste and its uses as animal feed, is to stimulate a need for research.

This book analyzes the status quo concerning waste generation and management systems in Thailand and other developing countries with similar problems. It addresses municipal, electronic, industrial and hazardous wastes, as well as management instruments, and key factors shaping the progress of waste management as a whole. The book highlights lessons learnt from various successful efforts to overcome these problems in Thailand, and offers recommendations for promoting sustainable waste management systems in Thailand and other countries with similar backgrounds in the future. These include the introduction of a polluter-pay concept, incentive systems for recycling and reusing, and promoting environmental education and awareness in key sectors.

This volume provides a comprehensive method for optimizing solid waste management practices and procedures at college and university campuses through the use of cluster analysis to combine Life Cycle Assessment and Analytical Hierarchy Process. Author Pezhman Taherei uses Malaysia's University of Malaya as a case study and model, and through this method was able to assess which combination of waste disposal, management, and recycling techniques generate the least environmental impact while retaining the maximum cost savings for the university. A method for analysis of solid waste composition is also proposed. Higher education institutes generate thousands of tons of solid waste per year. Comprehensive solid waste management programs, which take integrated solid waste management systems into consideration, are one of the greatest challenges to achieving campus sustainability. This system can serve as a guide and blueprint for other universities that are taking steps toward sustainability through improved solid waste management.