Advances in Environmental Research. Volume 71

Advances in Environmental Research. Volume 71 first reviews the processing and recycling of plastics all over the world. Due to the population growth and the economic progress of many nations, dependence on the production and consumption of plastic materials has increased. Following this, the authors aim to understand the current outlook of PM2.5 pollution and how the application of computer modelling can contribute to its monitoring and control. The pre-treatment of landfill leachate via ultra-sonication is explored in an effort to debilitate its inhibitory effect prior to bioremediation by microalgae. Accordingly, the by-products generated from ultrasonic pre-treatment were assimilated by microalgae for growth. Material flow accounting approaches are used to calculate crop biomass and to study differences between crop biomass production and residues utilisation for energy purposes with an environmental impact in China and Slovakia. The authors explore how the pressure of the anthropic activities (pollution, species introduction, overfishing, coastal development) on the marine ecosystem has intensified in the past decade with effects that include global warming and ocean acidification. The penultimate study demonstrates the presence of MDR E. coli isolates presenting virulence pathotypes with the ability of biofilm formation in urban rivers located at Rio de Janeiro metropolitan area, Brazil. The closing chapter provides informaiton regarding the wetland plant Phragmites, particularly its medicinal properties and related research. Phragmites a large perennial grass mainly found in wetlands throughout the temperate and tropical regions of the globe.