ECOTOXICOLOGY, NEW CHALLENGES AND NEW APPROACHES
by Edited by Elisabeth Gross and Jeanne Garric
Review by Alberto Pivato, University of Padova

“Ecotoxicology is a relatively young field resulting initially from a series of studies concerning pollution accidents affecting humans and the environment in the 1950s. At the same times, there was the birth of the concept of chemical ecology. Both fields have a somewhat different focus, yet they have more in common than just the prefix “eco”. Both look at the impact of compounds on organisms; while ecotoxicology focuses mainly on anthropogenic pollutants, chemical ecology concentrates on natural metabolites produced by certain species and affecting others.The main idea behind the book, which consists of 6 chapters by different authors, is to highlight current challenges and emerging approaches in ecotoxicology. One of the most important challenges is the better inclusion of chemical ecology in ecotoxicology." Download full article

BUYING AND SELLING THE ENVIRONMENT - HOW TO DESIGN AND IMPLEMENT A PES SCHEME
by Gabriela Scheufele and Jeff Bennett
Review by Chiara D'Alpaos, University of Padova

“Payments for environmental services (PES) are attracting growing interest worldwide as the natural capital becomes increasingly depleted under mounting, often conflicting, land-use pressures, proving definitely greater than socially optimal due to different sources of market failure (e.g., presence of externalities, public recognition of the majority of natural assets, imperfect definition of property rights and asymmetry of information)." Download full article

SOLID WASTE LANDFILLING - CONCEPTS. PROCESSESS, TECHNOLOGY
by Raffaello Cossu and Rainer Stegmann
Review by Roberto Raga, University of Padova

“Material management, however efficient and cyclical it is, will generate waste. Even solid waste management, including recycling or energy recovery, generates waste that can no longer be recycled, re-used or exploited in any other way. To complete the waste management system we must have a way out of the cycle, so part of the system must take care of the “rejected” material flows. That is what we need a landfill for. Landfilling, despite tendencies to diminish its importance, is an inevitable element of any waste management system. A landfill is the society’s liver helping to eliminate toxins or detoxify it." Download full article

SUSTAINABLE FOOD WASTE-TO-ENERGY SYSTEMS
by Thomas A. Trabold and Callie W. Babbitt
Review by Maria Cristina Lavagnolo, University of Padova

“The relationship between human beings and food has evolved considerably throughout the ages.
Food has assumed a huge significance in representing cultural and religious traditions, ethnicity and national identity; however, in developed economies the population has very little direct involvement in the production of food, thus failing to view wastage of this commodity as particularly arrogant or vulgar. Taking into account all contributions provided by wastes ranging from agricultural residues to postconsumer waste, the food waste fraction is estimated at 30 to 40% of total food produced, the majority of which is sent to landfill." Download full article

HYDROGEN SUPPLY CHAINS - DESIGN, DEPLOYMENT AND OPERATION
by Catherine Azzaro-Pantel
Review by Razieh Rafieenia, University of Padova

“The pathway to develop a hydrogen economy is very flexible due to the variety of available energy sources, production processes, and transportation and storage modes. Considering this scenario, Hydrogen Supply Chains: Design, Deployment and Operation demonstrates how each part of a hydrogen supply chain (HSC) is interconnected. It explores these parts from different angles to form a wellrounded view of the entire chain, including techno-economic and environmental aspects.
This book introduces the current energy system and the challenges that may hinder the large-scale adoption of hydrogen as an energy carrier. It then moves on to cover the different aspects of a methodological framework for designing a HSC, including production, storage, transportation, and infrastructure">>> Download full article

BIOMASS GASIFICATION, PYROLYSIS AND TORREFACTION - PRACTICAL DESIGN AND THEORY / Third edition
Edited by Prabir Basu
Review by Giovanni Beggio, University of Padova

“The increasing costs of adverse effects caused by accelerated climate change are compelling the entire economy to rely on processes capable of minimizing GHG emissions.
In recent decades, the energy-production sector has shifted from a fossil fuel-based production towards processes based on renewable resources. Although this issue has only recently been addressed with any degree of urgency, primary solutions to the problem have been available since long before the industrial revolution. Among these, biomass thermal conversion is indicated as playing a key role in the so-called energy transition, being acknowledged by the scientific community as a carbon-neutral process for energy production. In particular, torrefaction is aimed at the production of...">>> Download full article

RECYCLING OF POLYURETHANE FOAMS
by Sabu Thomas, Ajay Vasudeo Rane, Krishnan Kanny, V.K. Abitha and Martin George Thomas
Review by Roberto Raga, University of Padova

“Since its invention by Otto Bayer and his group in 1937, and following production with the purpose of coating aircrafts during World War II, Polyurethane (PU) foams have been used extensively in furniture, insulation panels, medical appliances, automotive interiors and in a number of consumer products for daily use. The impressive development of polymer and plastic industry results in billions of tons of polyurethane produced annually, which generates the need for the concurrent development of recycling strategies for waste products.>>> Download full article

WASTE BIOREFINERY: POTENTIALS AND PERSPECTIVES
by Thallada Bhaskar, Ashok Pandey, S.Venkata Mohan,
Duu-Jong and Lee S.K. Khanal
Review by Francesca Girotto, University of Padova

The major drivers of bioenergy of this century include the improvement of energy security, addressing the issue of finite amounts of fossil fuels and natural resources and mitigation of the effects of climate change. Consequently, due to the currently ongoing energy crisis, focus on the production of biofuels and bio-products has increased worldwide. Biofuels and bio-products can be produced from biomass by means of a conversion process known as biorefinery.
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THE NATURE AND USE OF ECOTOXICOLOGICAL EVIDENCE: NATURAL SCIENCE, STATISTICS, PSYCHOLOGY, AND SOCIOLOGY
by Michael C. Newman
Review by Alberto Pivato, University of Padova

“Weight of evidence” (WOE) is a commonly used term in scientific literature, particularly in forensic sciences, environmental risk assessment and in policy decision-making processes. Its concept, however, is often misunderstood. In fact, as Weed (2005) reported in his review on the use of WOE in literature, three main interpretations can be identified: (1) metaphorical, where it refers to a collection of studies or to an unspecified methodological approach; (2) methodological, where it points to established interpretative methodologies or implies that “all” rather than some subsets of the evidence is examined, or rarely, where it points to quantitative methods for evidence estimation; and (3) theoretical, where it serves as a label for a conceptual framework.. >>> Download full article