Encyclopedia of Sustainability Science and Technology Series – serie

This volume of the Encyclopedia of Sustainability Science and Technology, Second Edition, provides a broad and comprehensive view of air pollution, extending from ground-level, localized air quality and regional and global air quality and effects, to sensors and measurement and air pollution control. Despite substantial improvements in many parts of the world, globally, air pollution remains the most hazardous environmental threat. The increasing quality of exposure assessments, access to new and better statistical methods, and more complete and precise health data have led to stronger associations between air pollution exposure and health effects. Air pollution exposure-effect relationships have now been established for a wide variety of health outcomes, and well documented through parallel studies in many countries around the world using a variety of approaches and methodologies. Assessments of the health effects in the population are now performed on a routine basis in many countries and by many agencies, and often these also include calculation of externalities associated with the negative health effects. Such knowledge is essential for pushing development towards a more sustainable society. This volume covers topics including, but not limited to, basic knowledge to understand foundational concepts and drivers of regional and global air pollution in relation to air quality and ways to sense, measure and control pollutants, while placing this knowledge into the perspectives of health and technological systems.

This volume in the Encyclopedia of Sustainability Science and Technology, Second Edition, describes the breadth of science and engineering knowledge critical to advancing sustainable built environments, from architecture and design, mechanical engineering, lighting, and materials to water and energy, public policy, and economics. Covering both building, landscape and green infrastructure design and management, detailed consideration is given to how the building sector, the biggest player in the energy use equation, can minimize energy demand while providing measurable gains for productivity, health, and the environment. With a focus on the environmental context, the reader will understand how sustainable design merges the natural, minimum resource conditioning solutions of the past (daylight, solar heat, and natural ventilation) with the innovative technologies including nature-based solutions of the present. The desired result is an integrated “intelligent” and as socially “just as possible” system that supports individual control with expert negotiation for resource consciousness.

This volume of the Encyclopedia of Sustainability Science and Technology, Second Edition, describes technologies that actively convert solar radiation into useful heat in a temperature range from just above ambient up to more than 1,000°C. Applications cover a broad range of energy services such as space heating, cooking, domestic hot water supply, electrical power generation, and high temperature thermochemical processes. The major developments that have led to currently available technologies for solar thermal energy applications were initiated mainly after the first oil shock in 1973. Solar thermal energy is widely used already for heating purposes (water, space) in the “low” temperature range up to about 100°C employing mainly nonconcentrating collectors, whereas higher temperatures can be achieved with more sophisticated solar collector technologies. Temperatures over 200°C typically require concentrating solar radiation using mirror systems. Several different technologies are described in detail in this volume, including solar collector systems in the lower temperature range, the direct use of solar radiation for food processing, namely cooking and drying, the production of electricity through conversion of solar radiation first to heat, driving a mechanical conversion system coupled to an electric generator, the use of solar radiation to drive chemical processes, and many more.

This volume of "Encyclopedia of Sustainability Science and Technology, Second Edition," covers the electrification of vehicles, which is key to a sustainable future of transportation in both light-duty and heavy-duty vehicle sectors to address global concerns of climate change, air pollutant emissions, energy efficiency and energy security. Vehicle electrification includes several existing and emerging technologies and powertrain architectures such as conventional hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), plug-in hybrids with various electric driving range, short- and long-range battery electric vehicles, as well as hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs). Electrification will be key to connected autonomous vehicles, which are perceived to improve mobility, increase safety, reduce energy consumption and infrastructure costs, improve productivity, decrease traffic congestion and increase customer satisfaction. While electrification of vehicle technologies is relatively mature, technology improvement and economies of scale are needed to compete against incumbent technologies and to realize their benefits in the marketplace. Significant infrastructure development is needed in the case of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles and to a lesser extent for plug-in electric vehicles.Vehicle efficiency improvement is sought through a combination of several approaches, including weight reduction, engine downsizing, increased engine compression ratio with high octane fuels, and the use of compression ignition engines with low octane fuels. Liquid hydrocarbon fuels are needed in applications where high storage energy density is required such as long-haul class-8 combination heavy-duty trucks. Shared mobility is another emerging concept that enables access to transportation services on an as-needed basis. This approach can enhance accessibility to transportation, decrease number of vehicles on the road, reduce energy use and impact on the environment, reduce costof transportation and the need for parking, and reduce transportation time between origin and destination. In all, the reader will receive a comprehensive introduction to electric vehicles and technology trends, including energy storage, in light-, medium-, and heavy-duty sectors, as well as the infrastructure development that will be required to realize these benefits for society.

This volume of "Encyclopedia of Sustainability Science and Technology, Second Edition," covers the electrification of vehicles, which is key to a sustainable future of transportation in both light-duty and heavy-duty vehicle sectors to address global concerns of climate change, air pollutant emissions, energy efficiency and energy security. Vehicle electrification includes several existing and emerging technologies and powertrain architectures such as conventional hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), plug-in hybrids with various electric driving range, short- and long-range battery electric vehicles, as well as hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs). Electrification will be key to connected autonomous vehicles, which are perceived to improve mobility, increase safety, reduce energy consumption and infrastructure costs, improve productivity, decrease traffic congestion and increase customer satisfaction. While electrification of vehicle technologies is relatively mature, technology improvement and economies of scale are needed to compete against incumbent technologies and to realize their benefits in the marketplace. Significant infrastructure development is needed in the case of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles and to a lesser extent for plug-in electric vehicles.Vehicle efficiency improvement is sought through a combination of several approaches, including weight reduction, engine downsizing, increased engine compression ratio with high octane fuels, and the use of compression ignition engines with low octane fuels. Liquid hydrocarbon fuels are needed in applications where high storage energy density is required such as long-haul class-8 combination heavy-duty trucks. Shared mobility is another emerging concept that enables access to transportation services on an as-needed basis. This approach can enhance accessibility to transportation, decrease number of vehicles on the road, reduce energy use and impact on the environment, reduce cost of transportation and the need for parking, and reduce transportation time between origin and destination. In all, the reader will receive a comprehensive introduction to electric vehicles and technology trends, including energy storage, in light-, medium-, and heavy-duty sectors, as well as the infrastructure development that will be required to realize these benefits for society.

This newly updated and revised volume of the Encyclopedia of Sustainability Science and Technology (ESST) details the role of Animal Breeding and Genetics in the sustainability of animal agriculture. The volume covers scientific principles and applications includes the current science used to advance cattle, poultry, swine,sheep, and equine populations, as well as the future role of techniques such as gene editing. International leaders in the field explain foundational concepts such as heritability, the covariance between relatives, statistical approaches to predicting the genetic merit of individuals, and the development and advancement of molecular techniques to elucidate changes in the DNA sequence that underly phenotypic variation. The use of genetic-based tools to improve animal agriculture and meet consumer demands across species is treated in detail. Readers will gain an understanding of how global livestock producers have implemented advanced genetic selection tools and used them to improve reproduction, production, efficiency, health, and sustainability. The interactions of genetics and production environments, and the genetic components of the complex interactions among animals are also discussed. The future of Animal Breeding and Genetics, including the challenges and opportunities that exist in feeding a growing world population, are addressed.

This volume on Infectious Diseases in an Encyclopedia of Sustainability Science and Technology (ESST) addresses the needs of health care providers and policy makers as well as scientists and engineers.  Most of chapters in this volume deal with infectious diseases that directly affect humans, including the detailed characterization of specific pathogens, how they reproduce, how they are transmitted, and the means available to control, eliminate, or eradicate them. In this revised and updated second edition, the number of human infectious diseases covered has been significantly expanded. Other new chapters deal with current leading edge technologies for the diagnosis of pathogens; surveillance including environmental and syndromic surveillance for pathogens; requirements for quality assurance, quality control and the need for biological standards and controls to sustain high quality diagnosis and surveillance; the use of big data for personalized medicine; modeling infectious diseases; zoonotic and vector borne diseases; disease prevention with antibiotics, antivirals and vaccines; and factors that affect ecological balances leading to emergence of new diseases such as climate change and deforestation. Finally, infectious diseases that affect livestock and culture of plants for food, comfort and beauty are also addressed, since we must also consider them when discussing sustainability of humans in our ecosystem.

This newly updated Water Sustainability volume of the Encyclopedia of Sustainability Science and Technology (ESST) takes a holistic view of full water cycle and integrates the water themes into sustainability science and technology.With the increasing pressures of population growth, water scarcity, flooding, water pollution, climate impacts and competition of water uses among municipal, agricultural, industrial sectors and ecosystem, there is a growing trend in promoting Integrated Water Management and “One Water” concept worldwide. This reference volume covers multi-disciplinary sustainability topics from the perspective of integrated water management, which includes drinking water, wastewater, stormwater, reclaimed water and groundwater. It also spans cross-cutting themes of the water-energy-food nexus, showing how all of these sectors are inextricably linked.Water Sustainability is a comprehensive resource for a broad audience of scientists and engineers, researchers and practitioners, and decision makers whose objective is to advance sustainable water management.

This handbook covers both principal and applications aspects of hydroponics. This reference book shows the state-of-the-art in this area, while offering a clear view of supplying plants with nutrients other than soil. Chapters about hydroponics provides the reader with an understanding of the properties of the various soilless media and how these properties affect plant performance in relation to basic agricultural operations, such as fertilization and irrigation. Chapters explore the drawbacks and advantages of using hydroponics as a soilless crop production system and provide a wider view of science, technology, and economic impact of hydroponics.This book is a valuable resource to agriculturists, horticulturalists, greenhouse and nursery managers, and professionals involved with the production of plants. The handbook provides chapters about technology and applications of hydroponics. It contains an overview of the relevance of aquaponics in the fulfillment of the SDGs.

This book provides an authoritative reference on all aspects of the nuclear energy enterprise for both fission and fusion reactors. Featuring 22 peer-reviewed chapters by recognized authorities in the field, the book offers concise yet comprehensive coverage of fundamentals, current areas of research, and goals for the future. Topics range from fundamental reactor physics calculations, reactor design, nuclear fuel resources, and the nuclear fuel cycle, to radiation detection and protection and the economics of nuclear power. All chapters have been updated from the first edition, with new chapters added on small modular reactors, medical applications - atomic and nuclear, and applications of radioisotopes. As each chapter is written by an acknowledged expert in the area, the reader can be assured that the text is accurate, up-to-date, and will appeal to a broad audience of undergraduate and graduate students, researchers, and energy industry experts.

This volume covers the utilization of geothermal and related energy resources that exploit variations in temperature, chemistry, etc. and require different plant designs and technologies for each location. Extending beyond power plants using geothermal and ocean energy, coverage includes hot dry rock systems, geothermal conditioning, solar ponds, osmotic power, dry air, and potential future deep sea hydrothermal sources. Some technologies have reached the prototype stage, some not even that, but where much work has been invested, it is important to provide a complete picture if only to prevent others from following a dead-end path. For geothermal power plants, the greatest challenge remains the geothermal resource itself. Power conversion is the least uncertain part of a geothermal project, as it consists of a straightforward engineering design with work executed by experienced manufacturers, engineering firms, and contractors. The issues associated with integrating largeamounts of ocean energy into the overall supply are also explored.Collecting more than 20 new articles and updated entries, all peer reviewed, this volume in the Encyclopedia of Sustainability Science and Technology, Second Edition, provides an authoritative introduction from exploration techniques to conversion systems for a wide range of locally available energy sources. This comprehensive reference is suitable for those just entering these fields, but also offers new insights for advanced researchers, industry experts, and decision makers.

The expected end of the “oil age” will lead to increasing focus and reliance on alternative energy conversion devices, among which fuel cells have the potential to play an important role. Not only can phosphoric acid and solid oxide fuel cells already efficiently convert today’s fossil fuels, including methane, into electricity, but other types of fuel cells, such as polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells, have the potential to become the cornerstones of a possible future hydrogen economy.This handbook offers concise yet comprehensive coverage of the current state of fuel cell research and identifies key areas for future investigation. Internationally renowned specialists provide authoritative introductions to a wide variety of fuel cell types and hydrogen production technologies, and discuss materials and components for these systems. Sustainability and marketing considerations are also covered, including comparisons of fuel cells with alternative technologies.

This comprehensive reference is a state-of-the-art survey of biomass as an energy carrier for the provision of heat, electricity, and transportation fuel, considering technical, economic, environmental, and social aspects. On a global scale, biomass contributes roughly 12 to 16 % of the energy needed to cover the overall primary energy consumption. Thus far, it is humanity’s most important source of renewable energy, used on practically all continents and growing in importance even in industrialized nations. With detailed coverage of the production of solid, gaseous and liquid fuels, as well as a final energy provision, this volume serves as an introduction for readers just entering the field, but also offers new insights, up-to-date information, as well as latest findings for advanced researchers, industry experts, and decision makers.

This volume in the Encyclopedia of Sustainability Science and Technology, Second edition, provides a comprehensive overview of complementary strategies for dealing with waste in and around urban areas: Waste-to-energy power plants (WTEs) and recycling. Chapters in this volume describe how these plants can be built within or near cities to transform the non-recycled residues of society into electricity and heat, and the recovery of metals using recycling technology and management techniques. The latter includes resource recovery from construction and demolition and electronic waste streams.  With nearly one thousand WTE plants worldwide, waste incineration has become increasingly important as a means of closing the materials life- cycle loop. China leads in the beneficial use of these residues with about 30 new WTEs built in each of the last three years, and with plans for at least another 300 with one or more in each large city. In addition, increasing numbers of cement plants use "waste" materials as alternative fuels. Since currently all of these plants combust less than 20% of the available wastes, and the remainder ends up in landfills or dumps, this sector represents a huge market in the making.This comprehensive reference is suitable for readers just entering the field, but also offers new insights for advanced researchers, industry experts, and decision makers.

This book offers a comprehensive and state-of-the-art source reference for understanding the functions and mechanisms responsible for yield and quality determination under a range of conditions. By uncovering relationships and challenges of successful and scalable crop management and breeding, this volume addresses the challenges of environmentally sound production of bulk and quality food, fodder, fiber, and energy which are of ongoing international concern. Contemporary agriculture and crop management confronts the challenge of increasing demand in terms of quantitative and qualitative production targets. These targets have to be achieved against a background of climate change, including soil and water scarcity and higher temperatures, and the environmental and social aspects of agricultural sustainability. This book views crop production as an active source of methods, theories, ideas, and tools for application in genetic improvement and agronomy.

This volume in the Encyclopedia of Sustainability Science and Technology, Second Edition, brings together chapters examining water, energy, minerals and the environment in a holistic approach to land use planning and utilization. The work examines some of the problems, techniques, and solutions for managing resources so that a balance can be maintained between development and the environment. As world population increases, greater demand is placed on finite resources that earth can provide. Geographic areas once judged inadequate or inappropriate for construction, water and wastewater management, or transportation routes, among other activities, are being considered for, and being used, for development. Topics covered in this volume include impacts of natural disasters such as earthquakes and sinkholes, water and its use, overuse, and role in energy generation, and carbon sequestration. The topics covered here all play a role in development and the potential to sustain a growing world population. Interactions among system components mean that no single aspect can be addressed without including another. Environmental Geology places these different factors into perspective so that scientists, politicians, economists, planners, and stakeholders can work together to develop solutions that provide an acceptable balance between development and the environmental services on which we all depend.

This expanded, revised, and updated second edition of Innovations in Green Chemistry and Green Engineering provides a comprehensive introduction to the state-of-the-art in this key area of sustainability research. Processes that meet the objectives of green chemistry and chemical engineering minimize waste and energy use, and eliminate toxic by-products. Given the ubiquitous nature of products from chemical processes in our lives, green chemistry and chemical engineering are vital components of any sustainable future. Peer-reviewed articles from worldwide experts present the latest developments on topics ranging from organic batteries and green catalytic transformations to green nanoscience and nanotoxicology. Now under the leadership of distinguished Editors from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, this volume in the Encyclopedia of Sustainability Science and Technology, Second Edition, is an essential, one-stop reference for professionals in researchand industry. The book also fills the need for an authoritative course text in environmental and green chemistry and chemical engineering at the upper-division undergraduate and graduate levels.