Municipal Solid Waste Management

Rapid population growth, high standards of living, and technological development are constantly increasing the diversity and quantity of solid waste. The production of solid municipal waste associated with the high proportion of organic waste and its improper disposal lead to considerable environmental pollution due to the emission of greenhouse gases such as methane, carbon dioxide, etc. In such a challenging environment, municipal authorities need to develop more effective solutions to manage the growing urban solid waste. Most of the municipal solid waste mainly constitutes degradable materials, which represent a significant role in greenhouse gas emissions in urban localities. Integrated solid waste management approaches must be developed and improved to manage the increasing organic fractions of municipal solid waste, which helps to reduce greenhouse emissions with potential economic benefits. A sustainable management of municipal solid waste systems constitutes a promising and attractive trend to study current consumption behaviors responsible for waste generation, and to protect the global ecosystem. This book presents the management of municipal of solid waste, including recycling and landfill technologies. Moreover, composition and types of waste will be investigated. As a result, the most appropriate and feasible scenarios for the management of municipal solid waste are presented to provide the respected readership with the scientific background for sustainable development in these processes, which are increasingly supported by innovative methodologies for holistic assessment of process sustainability

Trace Elements - Human Health and Environment

Over the last few years, we have witnessed increasing efforts dedicated to the scientific investigation and characteristics of trace elements. Especially in the field of human and animal nutrition, trace elements display a considerably attractive issue for research because they play an essential role in the nutrition of both animals and humans. Aquatic environments contaminated with trace elements are an emerging research area due to the toxicity, abundance, and environmental persistence of trace elements. Accumulation of heavy metals as a class of trace elements in various environments, and the subsequent transition of these elements into the food and feed chain, severely affects human health. The determination of type and concentration of trace elements is regarded as the first and most important step to follow the mechanisms controlling the dispersal and accumulation of trace elements. Element speciation in different media (water, soil, food, plants, coal, biological matter, food, and fodder) is pivotal to assess an element's toxicity, bioavailability, environmental mobility, and biogeochemical performance. Recently, new analytical techniques have been developed, which greatly simplified the quantitation of many trace elements and considerably extended their detection range. In this context, the development of reproducible and accurate techniques for trace element analysis in different media using spectroscopic instrumentation is continuously updated

Green Chemistry

To an increasing extent, ""green chemistry"" is a new chemical and engineering approach of chemistry and engineering, dedicated to make manufacturing processes and our world as a whole more sustainable world with a growing tendency. ""Green chemistry"" approaches are based on ecofriendly technologies, aiming to reduce or eliminate the use of solvents, or render them efficient and safer. Moreover, this scientific field is devoted to reduction or elimination of prevailing environmental and health threats, which typically accompany chemical products and traditional processes. The present book ""Green Chemistry"" contains 9 selected chapters, starting with a general introductory chapter on ""green chemistry,"" and covers many recent applications and developments based on the principles of ""green chemistry."" This book is considered the appropriate way to communicate the advances in green materials and their applications to the scientific community. Chemists, scientists and researchers from related areas, and undergraduates involved in environmental issues and interested in approaches to improve the quality of life could find an inspiring and effective guide by reading this book

Characterizations of Some Composite Materials

Composite materials are materials made from two or more constituents with significantly different physical or chemical properties; when combined, a new material with characteristics different from the individual components is produced, while the individual components remain separate and distinct within the finished structure. The new composite material often displays many beneficial characteristics; in many cases, composites are stronger, of lower density, or less costly in comparison to established materials. Based on the classification of composites, we are already familiar with the fact that there exists a myriad of different types of these materials. It is a common saying that different types of composites differ in their performance. Yet, composites also have some characteristics in common. The proper material choice for an envisaged application is of outstanding importance and key in the development of a new product. Selecting the most suitable material determines the performance and characterization of the final product whether it will meet the designated function and performance requirements. The present book ""Characterizations of some composite materials"" contains eight selected chapters, starting with a general introductory chapter on composite materials, and covers different aspects in characterizing some composite materials. In this context, the present book is considered an appropriate way to communicate the advances in characterization of some composite materials to the scientific community. Chemists, scientists, and researchers from related areas, and undergraduates involved in materials issues and interested in approaches to improve the quality of life, as well as people from industry could find this book to be an inspiring and effective guide

Heavy Metals

Fundamental societal changes resulted from the necessity of people to get organized in mining, transporting, processing, and circulating the heavy metals and their follow-up products, which in consequence resulted in a differentiation of society into diversified professions and even societal strata. Heavy metals are highly demanded technological materials, which drive welfare and progress of the human society, and often play essential metabolic roles. However, their eminent toxicity challenges the field of chemistry, physics, engineering, cleaner production, electronics, metabolomics, botany, biotechnology, and microbiology in an interdisciplinary and cross-sectorial manner. Today, all these scientific disciplines are called to dedicate their efforts in a synergistic way to avoid exposure of heavy metals into the eco- and biosphere, to reliably monitor and quantify heavy metal contamination, and to foster the development of novel strategies to remediate damage caused by heavy metals

Principles and Applications in Nuclear Engineering - Radiation Effects, Thermal Hydraulics, Radionuclide Migration in the Environment

Nuclear engineering could be viewed as the engineering field that ensures optimum and sustainable technological applications of natural and induced radioactive materials in different industrial sectors. This book presents some advanced applications in radiation effects, thermal hydraulics, and radionuclide migration in the environment. These scientific contributions from esteemed experts introduce some nuclear safety principals, current knowledge about radiation types, sources and applications, thermal properties of heat transfer media, and the role of sorption in retarding radionuclide migration in the environment. This book also covers the advances in identifying radiation effects in dense gas-metal systems, application of dense granular materials as high power targets in accelerator driven systems and irradiation facilities, evaluation of boiling heat transfer in narrow channels, and application of fluorescence quenching techniques to monitor uranium migration