Environmental issues such as overexploitation, pollution and degradation of natural resources have prompted us to look for ways to devise sustainable practices across industrial and public service sectors. Researchers and scientists all over the world are involved in developing strategies and techniques that help us achieve a sustainable environment. Technology for a Sustainable Environment presents an overview of various methods and techniques that can be adapted to sustain the environment. Chapters focus on techniques such as bioremediation, nanotechnology and biotechnology that can play a very important role in achieving environmental sustainability goals. The chapters also provide a detailed account about use of biotechnology, nanotechnology and other techniques in achieving environmental sustainability. Additionally, the book includes a discussion about emerging technologies that promote environmental sustainability like green technologies, biodegradable polymers and plastics. Readers will be able to understand how modern technologies can help in monitoring environmental pollutants, remediation of environmental pollution and prevention of environmental degradation. The book is suitable for readers, professionals and scholars at all levels who require an understanding of the technology in environmental science, environmental engineering and environmental biotechnology.

Microplastic Pollution: Causes, Effects, and Control sheds light on the causes, effects, and control of microplastic pollution, providing valuable insights into the tools and techniques for analysis, the impact on ecosystems, and the potential risks to human well-being. The editors focus on the urgency of addressing this global environmental challenge through collaborative efforts and sustainable solutions. This reference features 10 edited chapters covering multiple aspects of microplastic pollution. The book introduces the reader to various tools and techniques used to analyze microplastic pollution in both aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. It then examines the sources, pathways, and levels of microplastic contamination in the environment and explains how to evaluate the potential health risks for the nearby communities. The impact of microplastic on flora and fauna is presented in one chapter. To emphasize the importance of assessing microplastic contamination, the editors present a case study conducted in Thoothukudi, South India, to explore the implications of microplastic pollution on human health. The book also provides information on solutions to microplastic pollution including the use of bioplastics and removal techniques. Microplastic Pollution: Causes, Effects, and Control equips readers with a complete understanding of the global challenge of microplastics, fostering awareness and encouraging further research and action to protect our ecosystems and human health from their detrimental impact. It is an ideal handbook for environmental science researchers and students who need to understand microplastic pollution and plan environmental impact assessments for academic research and professional projects. Key Features - Comprehensive coverage of microplastic pollution with 10 structured chapters - Informs readers about important parameters to understand and measure the impact of microplastics on local fauna, flora and the surrounding environment - Covers evaluation and remediation of microplastics in both terrestrial and marine environments - Includes references for advanced readers - Includes a case study on the effect of microplastics in Thoothukudi, South India

Pollution of the aquatic environment is a real threat across the globe. It is becoming a topic of intense study for researchers. It has been updated and almost completely revised. The Mediterranean Sea has been recognized as a target hotspot of the world as the pollutant concentration in this region is greater than the levels in other oceans. The book summarizes research on marine pollutants in the Mediterranean Sea. It presents 5 concise reviews focusing on microplastics, rare earth elements and biotoxins – which are now commonly found in the region. The Editors also emphasize on pollution problems in the Mediterranean region, with 2 chapters presenting studies on Lebanon and Morocco, respectively. The book adds to the collective information on Mediterranean marine pollution. Additionally, references are included at the end of each chapter for the benefit of advanced readers. The contributions also include discussions on important techniques used to monitor and control marine pollution, such as the bio-monitoring of effluents, and ecological impact assessment of microplastic pollution on fish and the environment.

African Meteorites is a comprehensive exploration of meteorite falls and finds across the arid and hot regions of the African continent, offering profound insights into a significant collection of meteorites, second only to Antarctica. The book is divided into seven chapters, covering the origin and formation of meteorites, statistical analyses of meteorite falls in African countries, classes and mass distribution of meteorite finds, allocation and renaming of North West African (NWA) meteorites, exceptional and rare meteorite falls and finds in Eastern Morocco Sahara, protocols for recognizing, recovering, and preserving meteorites in Sahara, and a review of confirmed and proposed meteorite falls, finds, and impact structures in Egypt, Sudan, and Libya. With detailed and updated references complementing the simple presentation, this book is an invaluable resource for meteoriticists, hunters, museums, astronomers, students, and geology and astronomy enthusiasts, on the origin, characteristics, and collection of meteorites discovered in Africa. Key Themes: Meteorite origin, formation, and classification Meteorite falls and finds in Africa Unique features of North West Africa (NWA) meteorites Rare and exceptional meteorite falls and finds in Eastern Morocco Sahara Protocols for recognizing and preserving meteorites in the Sahara Meteorite falls, finds, and impact structures in Egypt, Sudan, and Libya

With the application of the effective stress concept, the strength and volumetric behavior of saturated materials was clearly understood. For the case of unsaturated materials, a universally accepted effective stresses equation is still under debate. However, the use of the effective stress concept to develop constitutive models for unsaturated soils is becoming increasingly popular not only because the hydro-mechanical coupling observed in these materials is implicit in the formulation but also because simpler and more precise models can be established. Towards A Unified Soil Mechanics Theory demonstrates that the same strength and volume change equations used in saturated soil mechanics can be used for the case of unsaturated soils. In other words, the constitutive models developed for saturated soils can be used for unsaturated materials once the effective stress equation has been defined. In this book, an analytical equation for the effective stress for unsaturated soils is established. This equation requires the knowledge of the superficial area of solids affected by the capillary phenomenon. In other words, we need to know how water distributes in the pores of the soil. This distribution can be modeled using a solid-porous model built on a regular network. However, the size of the network required to correctly simulate the structure of a small soil sample cannot be managed with a common PC. For that reason, a probabilistic porous-solid model is developed. This model uses the pore size distribution in the form of a probabilistic function which in addition to the Laplace equation and the principle of continuity can be expressed as the probability of a pore of certain size to be filled or dry at suction during a wetting or drying path, respectively. In this way, the soil-water retention curves can be simulated and the effective stress at any suction during wetting or drying processes can be determined. Based on this approach, it is shown that unsaturated soils behave under the same principles for strength and volumetric behavior as saturated soils. This revised edition brings additional information about an elastoplastic framework for expansive soils, hydro-mechanical coupling and a fully coupled model. The additional chapters also cover the experimental parameters used to derive the models. An updated set of references and a list of abbreviations is also included in this edition. Towards A Unified Soil Mechanics Theory paves the way for a universal theory of soil mechanics. The volume will be a valuable reference to civil engineers, earth scientists and hydrologists interested in soil mechanics at both academic and professional levels.

The book helps readers to understand the fundamentals of water purification processes. Chapters in the book cover industrial purification techniques, while also exploring the future scope and current challenges in this field. Key Features - Seven chapters arranged and structured in a clear, coherent manner for understanding the broad topics. - Covers basic water purification techniques for safe drinking water - Covers defluoridation techniques - Explains the parameters affecting photocatalytic degradation of substituted benzoic acids. - Includes a case study for seasonal variations in pond water - Covers the role of nanotechnology in wastewater treatment - Covers the impact of water mismanagement on the environment with suggestions for preventive measures for sustainable water utilization This reference informs advanced readers (sustainable development professionals, post-graduate and research scholars) interested in water treatment processes. It also serves as a resource for courses in environmental chemistry, waste management and sustainability.

Towards A Unified Soil Mechanics Theory demonstrates mathematical models for saturated and unsaturated soils by defining the effective stress equation. Chapters present hydraulic models that simulate water distribution in pores. Parameters from these models are then used to demonstrate the use of an effective stress equation to understand the mechanics of soils that have different material constitutions. Key Features: -Sequentially explains soil modeling techniques for easy understanding -Demonstrates the use of an effective stress equation based on data from porous-solid models. -Explains how porous-solid models can simulate the soilwater retention curves of materials. -Establishes an elastoplastic framework for the volumetric behavior of unsaturated soils that is used to simulate the phenomenon of collapse upon wetting and the behavior of expansive soils. -Explains the practical application of fully a coupled hydro-mechanical (critical state) soil model -Includes scientific references for further reading The third edition includes additional information on retention curves in deforming curves, the application of a coupled hydro-mechanical model simulating undrained tests and the behavior of soils during static compaction, and the use of a porous-solid model to develop a fully analytical equation for the relative hydraulic conductivity of soils. The new chapters also cover the experimental parameters used to derive the models. This edition also updates material from previous editions, and adds new scientific references. Towards A Unified Soil Mechanics Theory paves the way for a universal theory of soil mechanics that has a wide range of applications. The book is a valuable reference to civil engineers, geotechnical engineers, earth scientists and hydrologists interested in soil mechanics at both academic and professional levels.

Sustainability Studies: Environmental and Energy Management is a collection of reviews on topics on sustainability with the objective of informing the reader about the environmental impact of industrialization and the ways technology can be implemented to sustain it. The book presents 11 chapters that focus on the environmental issues, waste management methods, and green chemistry for environmental-friendly production and construction. 2 chapters bring attention to important concepts that are central to sustainability, namely, environmental justice and climate change. The editors have ensured an adequate balance of theoretical concepts and practical information to give readers a broad overview of environmental sustainability. Each chapter is structured into easy-to-read sections that are suitable for readers who are learning about sustainability as part of their educational curriculum. Sustainability Studies: Environmental and Energy Management is a primer on sustainability and environmental management for students and academics in environmental science, and engineering courses.

This book integrates knowledge about innovative technologies developed in the past decade with information about commercial-scale processes. It is written with the objective to help readers to understand the potential of achieving sustainability and high efficiency in wastewater treatment. The book presents nine chapters. Chapter 1 details the types of wastewater, its characteristics, and the major commercial-scale strategies employed to treat wastewater. Chapter 2 details the different types of physicochemical methods utilized for the remediation of heavy metals, dyes, and xenobiotics. Chapters 3 and 4 highlight innovations in the advanced oxidation process and adsorption for remediation of such complex molecules, respectively. Chapters 5, 6, and 7 highlight the recent innovations in bioremediation of xenobiotics, heavy metals, and dyes, respectively. Finally, chapters 8 and 9 discuss the latest technologies, prevailing bottlenecks, and the path ahead towards commercial viability and environmental sustainability in both physico-chemical and biological treatment processes.

This comprehensive volume is a review on the pivotal role of seaweeds in the blue bioeconomy. It begins by introducing the blue bioeconomy concept which encompasses the use of renewable biological marine resources to produce food, materials and energy. The book then continues to explore the applications of seaweeds. Chapters cover the biomedical applications (nutraceuticals), functional applications (functional ingredients, biofertilizers), and commercial applications (cosmeceuticals, animal feeds) of seaweeds. Each chapter is structured into sections to provide an easy to understand summary of respective topics, with detailed discussions that reveal the intricate nature of seaweeds. The book shares perspectives from experts in environmental science and biology, with references for advanced readers. The book is for anyone who wants to understand the role of seaweeds in the bioeconomy and for sustainable development.