Chapters authored
Social Perspectives on the Effective Management of Wastewater
The chapter discusses how adopting a holistic methodology that acknowledges sociological factors, including community participation, public involvement, social perception, attitudes, gender roles and public acceptance, would lead to improvements in wastewater management practice. It highlights the social dimension as a tool, a lens through which wastewater management and reuse can take on new dimensions. In this way, this chapter aims to shift the focus from perceiving wastewater as a nuisance that needs disposal, toward a resource not to be wasted, which can contribute to food security, human and environmental health, access to energy as well as water security.
Part of the book: Physico-Chemical Wastewater Treatment and Resource Recovery
Why Microplastics Are Exceptional Contaminants?
Due to the heterogeneous nature of the physiochemical properties of microplastics (MPs), their behaviour in the environment is quite complex compared to other contaminants. The variety of polymers, wide range of sizes, variable shapes and numerous colours influence their mobility, transport and distribution in the different environmental compartments. For example, different shapes and sizes are distributed differently, which influence their bioavailability and ecological impacts. The uptake of MPs by aquatic biota also depends, among others, on their characteristics. This book chapter aims to discuss the ecological and toxicological impacts of MPs in relation to their physical and chemical properties. The chapter starts with a brief introduction explaining the uniqueness of MPs as emerging contaminants and a driver of environmental change. The following two sections then provide deeper insights into their ecological impact at all levels of the ecosystem and highlight the complexity associated with their toxicological effects. Finally, the last section provides more discussion about their properties in the context of their environmental behaviour, fate, bioavailability and toxicity.
Part of the book: Advances and Challenges in Microplastics