Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) have anthropogenic and biogenic origins. At the Earth's scale, the natural sources represent a great part of the total VOCs present in the atmosphere but in industrialised regions, anthropogenic ones become the majority due to the various human activities related mainly to chemical industries (liquid fuels, solvents, thinners, detergents, degreasers, cleaners and lubricants). Almost all VOCs have effects on human health and many of them are even carcinogenic. It is also known that the VOCs can affect the central nervous system and may have mutagenic effects. Apart from human health, they also play an important role towards the environment, especially in the atmospheric pollution processes. Indeed, VOCs emissions lead to the promotion of photochemical reactions in the atmosphere (ozone formation, depletion of the stratospheric ozone layer and formation of photochemical smog). The present book gathers and presents some current research from across the world conducted by scientific experts in their fields. In seven valuable contributions, it deals with the emission and the environmental impact as well as the control of the Volatile Organic Compounds.

Every day, large quantities of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are emitted into the atmosphere from both anthropogenic and natural sources. The formation of gaseous and particulate secondary products caused by oxidation of VOCs is one of the largest unknowns in the quantitative prediction of the earth’s climate on a regional and global scale, and on the understanding of local air quality. To be able to model and control their impact, it is essential to understand the sources of VOCs, their distribution in the atmosphere and the chemical transformations which remove these compounds from the atmosphere. In recent years techniques for the analysis of organic compounds in the atmosphere have been developed to increase the spectrum of detectable compounds and their detection limits. New methods have been introduced to increase the time resolution of those measurements and to resolve more complex mixtures of organic compounds. Volatile Organic Compounds in the Atmosphere describes the current state of knowledge of the chemistry of VOCs as well as the methods and techniques to analyse gaseous and particulate organic compounds in the atmosphere. The aim is to provide an authoritative review to address the needs of both graduate students and active researchers in the field of atmospheric chemistry research.

The stability of forest ecosystems is affected by changes of environment conditions, like by increasing temperatures, increasing atmospheric CO2 and decreasing deposition rates of nutrients and acidity. This volume integrates the results of long term interdisciplinary ecosystem research at two forested watersheds in Germany with special emphasis on the biogeochemistry of carbon, dissolved organic matter and mineral elements in response to changing environmental conditions and management. Despite the reduction in acidic deposition, forest ecosystems are still threatened by soil acidification, nutrient depletion and eutrophication and criteria of sustainability are not yet achieved. The results highlight the complex interactions between vegetation, animals and soils in terrestrial ecosystems that are triggered by changes in environmental conditions.

Biogenic Volatile Organic Compounds and Climate Change highlights the relationship between climate change and biogenic VOC and the impact they have on each other. Topics include the synthesis and emission of VOC in plants, how they respond to environmental stresses, how sustainable agricultural practices plants can be used to directly impact climate change beyond carbon sequestration, a review of biogenic VOCs as air pollutants, and the impact of biogenic VOC on clouds. This groundbreaking work is essential for anyone in climate change, global warming and cooling, atmospheric chemistry, clouds, fate and transport of chemicals in the atmosphere, air pollution, sustainability or agriculture. - Explains how volatile organic compound (VOC) production and emission in plants can ameliorate the consequences of climate change induced abiotic and biotic stresses - Comprehensively addresses the complex interactions between global warming, atmospheric composition and plant ecology beyond carbon sequestration - Reviews the use of biogenic VOC in sustainability

This book highlights the advances in essential oil research, from the plant physiology perspective to large-scale production, including bioanalytical methods and industrial applications. The book is divided into 4 sections. The first one is focused on essential oil composition and why plants produce these compounds that have been used by humans since ancient times. Part 2 presents an update on the use of essential oils in various areas, including food and pharma industries as well as agriculture. In part 3 readers will find new trends in bioanalytical methods. Lastly, part 4 presents a number of approaches to increase essential oil production, such as in vitro and hairy root culture, metabolic engineering and biotechnology. Altogether, this volume offers a comprehensive look at what researchers have been doing over the last years to better understand these compounds and how to explore them for the benefit of the society.

Greenhouse Gases Balance of Bioenergy Systems covers every stage of a bioenergy system, from establishment to energy delivery, presenting a comprehensive, multidisciplinary overview of all the relevant issues and environmental risks. It also provides an understanding of how these can be practically managed to deliver sustainable greenhouse gas reductions. Its expert chapter authors present readers to the methods used to determine the greenhouse gas balance of bioenergy systems, the data required and the significance of the results obtained. It also provides in-depth discussion of key issues and uncertainties, such as soil, agriculture, forestry, fuel conversion and emissions formation. Finally, international case studies examine typical GHG reduction levels for different systems and highlight best practices for bioenergy GHG mitigation. For bringing together into one volume information from several different fields that was up until now scattered throughout many different sources, this book is ideal for researchers, graduate students and professionals coming into the bioenergy field, no matter their previous background. It will be particularly useful for bioenergy researchers seeking to calculate greenhouse gas balances for systems they are studying. I will also be an important resource for policy makers and energy analysts. - Uses a multidisciplinary approach to synthesize the diverse information that is required to competently execute GHG balances for bioenergy systems - Presents an in-depth understanding of the science underpinning key issues and uncertainty in GHG assessments of bioenergy systems - Includes case studies that examine ways to maximize the GHG reductions delivered by different bioenergy systems

Plant-driven volatile organic compound (BVOC) emissions play a major role in atmospheric chemistry, including ozone and photochemical smog formation in the troposphere, and they extend the atmospheric lifetime of the key greenhouse gas, methane. Furthermore, condensation of photo-oxidation products of BVOCs leads to formation of secondary organic aerosols with profound implications for the earth's solar radiation budget and climate. Trees represent the plant life form that most contributes to BVOC emissions, which gives global forests a unique role in regulating atmospheric chemistry. Written by leading experts in the field, the focus is on recent advancements in understanding the controls on plant-driven BVOC emissions, including efforts to quantitatively predict emissions using computer models, particularly on elicitation of emissions under biotic and abiotic stresses, molecular mechanisms of volatile synthesis and emission and the role of emissions in plant stress tolerance.

Many trace gases are exchanged between the atmosphere and the biosphere. Although much research has been published on the photosynthetic exchanges of carbon dioxide, oxygen, and water vapor, this book focuses on the importance of biogenic trace gases on atmosphere chemistry and ecosystem stability. Included are methane and its effect on the radiative properties of the atmosphere, hydrocarbons (isoprene and monoterpenes), and their role in the production of ozone and carbon monoxide. Also covered are sulfur and nitrogen gases, both of which can lead to ecosystem acidification. The biochemistry and physiology of production of these and other gases are investigated. Plant physiologists, ecologists, and atmospheric chemists and modelers will benefit from this book.

As with nearly all living creatures, humans have always been attracted and intrigued by floral scents. Yet, while we have been manufacturing perfumes for at least 5000 years to serve a myriad of religious, sexual, and medicinal purposes, until very recently, the limitation of our olfactory faculty has greatly hindered our capacity to clearly and ob

As global climate change proliferates, so too do the health risks associated with the changing world around us. Called for in the President’s Climate Action Plan and put together by experts from eight different Federal agencies, The Impacts of Climate Change on Human Health: A Scientific Assessment is a comprehensive report on these evolving health risks, including: Temperature-related death and illness Air quality deterioration Impacts of extreme events on human health Vector-borne diseases Climate impacts on water-related Illness Food safety, nutrition, and distribution Mental health and well-being This report summarizes scientific data in a concise and accessible fashion for the general public, providing executive summaries, key takeaways, and full-color diagrams and charts. Learn what health risks face you and your family as a result of global climate change and start preparing now with The Impacts of Climate Change on Human Health.