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Books > Earth & environment > The environment > Pollution & threats to the environment > General
An aerosol is a suspension of fine particles in a gas, usually air, and is generally taken to include both solid and liquid particles with dimensions ranging from a few nanometres up to around 100 micrometres in diameter. Aerosol sicence is the study of the physics and chemistry of aerosol behaviour and this includes techniques of generating particles of nanometre and micrometre dimensions: size classification and measurement, transport and deposition properties: chemical properties of aerosols in the atmosphere and in industry, as well as health effects from inhalation and industrial gas cleaning technology. Aerosols have important commercial implications, e.g. pressure-packaged aerosol' products, agricultural sprays, atmospheric visibility and high technology materials and knowledge of aerosol properties is important in a wide range of disciplines, including industrial hygiene, air pollution, medicine, agriculture, meteorology and geochemistry. Written by an international team of contributors, this book forms a timely, concise and accessible overview of aerosol science and technology. Chemists, technologists and engineers new to aerosol science will find this book an essential companion in their studies of the subject. Those more familiar with aerosols will use it as an essential source of reference.
Recent instances of bioinvasion, such as the emergence of the zebra mussel in the American Great Lakes, generated a demand among marine biologists and ecologists for groundbreaking new references that detail how organisms colonize hard substrates, and how to prevent damaging biomass concentrations. Marine Biofouling: Colonization Processes and Defenses is the English language version of a comprehensive work by eminent Russian scientist Alexander I. Railkin, who details the causes of vast biomass concentrations on submerged hard substrates. He also delivers a quantitative description of colonization processes and provides detailed models for preventing biofouling. This volume expounds on many topics rarely discussed in the frame of one book: types of hard substrate communities; comparison of hard and soft substrate communities; harm caused by micro- and macrofoulers; larval taxes and drift; mechanisms of settlement and attachment of microorganisms, invertebrates, ascidians and macroalgae; the impact of currents; protection from epibionts; industrial biofouling protection; successions on hard substrates; and the recovery of disturbed communities or the self-assembly of communities. The text includes much Russian-language research translated for the first time. Through a thorough examination of substrate organisms and an exploration of preventive methods, this monograph prepares those concerned with marine biology to help protect the self-purifying organisms that keep marine ecosystems healthy and productive.
Dyes are versatile compounds that have been successfully used in textile printing, rubber, cosmetics, plastic, pharmaceutical, and leather industries to color the products. Dye-using industries, particularly textile or printing industries are responsible for the generation of a great amount of colored wastewater that are polluting and threatening the environment. Many of these dyes are carcinogenic, mutagenic, and teratogenic, as well as harmful to human, aquatic life, and other living things and their elimination from wastewater is highly essential. Various approaches have been implemented in the efforts to mitigate the issue related to textile wastewater, such as adsorption, biological processes, advanced oxidation processes, membrane technology, etc. In this Volume 1, the application of various types of polymers in different wastewater treatment technologies are presented. The synthesis procedure of some polymers, the polymer modification, the effect of operational parameters on polymer efficiency, the interactions between polymers - dyes, etc are discussed.
This handbook describes the broad aspects of risk management involving scientific policy judgment, uncertainty analysis, perception considerations, statistical insights, and strategic thinking. This book presents all the important concepts to enable the reader to "see the big picture." This ability is extremely important - it allows the decision maker or strategic environmental planner to understand and cope with a wide variety of complex and interlinked pieces of information and data. The text presents environmental problems and, whenever applicable, the methodology required to reach a successful solution. Decisions and policies are examined. The book covers numerous objective and subjective components of environmental risk decision making. It details quantitative and comparative risk, and investigates the cost and feasibility of different decisions. Social pressures, safety, and political, religious, ethical, and psychological issues are addressed. How to evaluate the potential impact on the quality of life also is discussed. Any company doing risk assessment, risk management, or risk communication, as well as those doing environmental decision making will find this reference to be invaluable. It is also suitable as a text for courses in environmental management, environmental science, and risk assessment in the areas of risk management and strategic environmental planning.
Chromatography of Natural, Treated and Waste Waters is the first book to bring together information of a range of chromatographic techniques in all types of water, precipitation to sewage effluents. Organic and inorganic compounds, cations, anions and elements are all discussed. Particular attention is paid to multi compound analysis of water, and the analysis of minute traces of pollutants. Gas chromatography, high performance liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry are included in this well referenced and easy to use book.
In the past decade there has been a rapid increase in waterborne outbreaks of disease associated with viral and protozoan agents, normally in drinking waters that were found to be microbially safe using the Coliform Index. For nearly a quarter of a century indicator organisms, in particular the coliform group, have been used to ensure the microbial quality of drinking water. Currently, world wide legislation to protect consumers is based on these outdated and unreliable tests and while there is considerable concern among scientists over their use, the water industry and regulators continue to place near total reliance on the Coliform Index. This book provides: * the first full account of the nature and applications of the Coliform Index * coverage of new and proposed water quality legislation: * details of emerging pathogens in water: * an evaluation of the role of the "coliform count" in future water quality analysis. It will be an essential tool for water companies at all levels, microbiologists, environmental health inspectors, environmental scientists and water engineers in industry whether working in developed countries or developing countries. Postgraduate students specialising in microbiology, civil and environmental engineering, environmental sciences and environmental health will find it a useful reference work as will undergraduates in these disciplines.
An authoritative and comprehensive volume of knowledge and green technologies wholly focused on the future of the bioeconomy. The authors present data, show opportunities, discuss R&D findings, analyze strategies, assess the wider economic impact, showcase achievements, criticize policies and propose solutions for the green revolution in biofuels, biochemicals and biomaterials' production and power generation. A fascinating range of case studies from the US, China and many European countries are used to inform readers about the impact of this field on society and how various technologies are currently being implemented. Additionally, the role of industry on this green industrial revolution is outlined with contributions from several major companies such as DuPont (US), UPM-Kymmene Oy (Finland), Anhui BBCA Biochemical Co (China).
There are thousands of substances manufactured in the United States to which the public is routinely exposed and for which toxicity data are limited or absent. Some insist that uncertainty about the severity of potential harm justifies implementing precautionary regulations, while others claim that uncertainty justifies the absence of regulations until sufficient evidence confirms a strong probability of severe harm. In this book, Levente Szentkiralyi overcomes this impasse in his defense of precautionary environmental risk regulation by shifting the focus from how to manage uncertainty to what it is we owe each other morally. He argues that actions that create uncertain threats wrongfully gamble with the welfare of those who are exposed and neglect the reciprocity that our equal moral standing demands. If we take the moral equality and rights of others seriously, we have a duty to exercise due care to strive to prevent putting them in possible harm's way. The Ethics of Precaution will be of great interest to researchers, educators, advanced students, and practitioners working in the fields of environmental political theory, ethics of risk, and environmental policy.
This book presents selected papers from the 11th International Symposium on Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (ISHVAC 2019), with a focus on HVAC techniques for improving indoor environment quality and the energy efficiency of heating and cooling systems. Presenting inspiration for implementing more efficient and safer HVAC systems, the book is a valuable resource for academic researchers, engineers in industry, and government regulators.
Contaminated sites and facilities may pose significant risks to the local populations because of the potential health and environmental effects associated with environmental contamination problems. Also affected are property owners and financiers due to reduced property values and possible financial liabilities. The effective management of contaminated sites is therefore an important environmental issue, requiring careful planning. This book addresses the issues relevant to the investigation and management of contaminated sites, emphasising problem diagnosis/characterisation and the development of site restoration/corrective action programs. The book focuses on methodologies that will allow scientifically justifiable/defensible, technically feasible, and economically viable corrective action assessment and response decisions to be made. This includes methods for developing effectual site restoration tasks, methods for evaluating the progress of corrective action programs, and the application of risk assessment methods as a decision-making tool. The goal of the book is to synthesise technically sound principles and techniques that can be applied globally to contaminated sites in different regions of the world.
The fully revised second edition of the highly acclaimed book. Long-term monitoring programs are fundamental to understanding the natural environment and managing major environmental problems. Yet they are often done very poorly and ineffectively. This second edition of the highly acclaimed Effective Ecological Monitoring describes what makes monitoring programs successful and how to ensure that long-term monitoring studies persist. The book has been fully revised and updated but remains concise, illustrating key aspects of effective monitoring with case studies and examples. It includes new sections comparing surveillance-based and question-based monitoring, analysing environmental observation networks, and provides examples of adaptive monitoring. Based on the authors' 80 years of collective experience in running long-term research and monitoring programs, Effective Ecological Monitoring is a valuable resource for the natural resource management, ecological and environmental science and policy communities.
This book focuses on clean transport and mobility essential to the modern world. It discusses internal combustion engines (ICEs) and alternatives like battery electric vehicles (BEVs) which are growing fast. Alternatives to ICEs start from a very low base and face formidable environmental, material availability, and economic challenges to unlimited and rapid growth. Hence ICEs will continue to be the main power source for transport for decades to come and have to be continuously improved to improve transport sustainability. The book highlights the need to assess proposed changes in the existing transport system on a life cycle basis. The volume includes chapters discussing the challenges faced by ICEs as well as chapters on novel fuels and fuel/ engine interactions which help in this quest to improve the efficiency of ICE and reduce exhaust pollutants. This book will be of interest to those in academia and industry alike.
Based on the work and contributions of 46 scientists, managers, and policymakers, Ecological Assessment of Selenium in the Aquatic Environment documents the state of the science and explores how to use this information when assessing and managing the environmental effects of Se. A focused discussion on the fate and effects of Se in aquatic ecosystems, the book reviews: Past and current problems related to Se in aquatic environments, together with lessons learned, and provides a generalized conceptual model Environmental partitioning, in particular Se speciation leading to its entry into the food chain, and provides conceptual models specific to environmental partitioning. Se bioaccumulation and trophic transfer from the physical environment (i.e., water-column particulates), and from primary producers to herbivores to carnivores, including the influence of modifying ecological factors Toxic effects from Se, in particular body burdens and their relationship to toxicity Filled with practical guidance and concise information on how to conduct selenium risk assessments in the aquatic environment, the book contains the latest information on assessment techniques, elucidates the current state of contamination in industrialized countries, and raises awareness for developing nations. Written by leading experts, it describes best practices for designing experiments to collect information on aquatic effects and trophic transfer of selenium for risk assessments, presents numerous case studies both domestic and international, and gives insight as to how current and future ecosystems may or may not be affected.
Edited by One of the Best Specialists in Soil Science Recent studies reveal that Phosphorus (P) in the form of phosphate, a macronutrient essential for plant growth, and crop yields can influence the bioavailability, retention, and mobility of trace elements, metal(loid)s, and radio nuclides in soils. When this occurs, phosphates can affect the dynamics of heavy metals and influence soil characteristics, impacting soil mobility and toxicity. Phosphate in Soils: Interaction with Micronutrients, Radionuclides and Heavy Metals utilizes the latest research to emphasize the role that phosphate plays in enhancing or reducing the mobility of heavy metals in soil, and the soil-water-plant environment. It provides an in-depth understanding of each heavy metal species, and expands on phosphate interactions in geological material.Composed of 12 chapters, this text: Provides an overview of the reactions of metal(loid)s and common P compounds that are used as fertilizer in soils Emphasizes the effect of phosphorus on copper and zinc adsorption in acid soils Discusses findings on the influence of phosphate compounds on speciation, mobility, and bioavailability of heavy metals in soils as well as the role of phosphates on in situ and phytoremediation of heavy metals for contaminated soils Places emphasis on the influence of phosphate on various heavy metals species in soils, and their solubility/mobility and availability Provides extensive information on testing various high phosphate materials for remediation of heavy metal, micronutrients, and radionuclides contaminated sites Explores the reactivity of heavy metals, micronutrients and radionuclides elements in several soils Presents a case study illustrating various remediation efforts of acidic soils and remediation of Cu, Zn, and lead (Pb) contaminated soils around nonferrous industrial plants Emphasizes the significance of common ions (cations and anions) on phosphate mobility and sorption in soils, and more The author includes analytical and numerical solutions along with hands-on applications, and addresses other topics that include the transport and sorption modeling of heavy metals in the presence of phosphate at different scales in the vadose zone.
The world is moving into a new era which will be dominated by a new range of threats and a new range of priorities. Already headlines tell of storms and droughts, mass emigrations, the danger of old Soviet nuclear reactors and the thinning ozone layer, and with the menaces of global warming, deforestation, pollution and loss of biodiversity, the picture is likely to get bleaker. Unlike traditional threats, these are not made deliberately and standard military responses are usually inappropriate They are threats without enemies and they present quite new and fundamental challenges to the international community which has to find new methods and institutions, as well as the resolve, to tackle them. In this book, eminent experts describe the new threats and the scale of the dangers which they present and set out the political, military and institutional changes needed. Gwyn Prins is Director of the Global Security Programme at the University of Cambridge. He is author of Top guns and Toxic Whales, also published by Earthscan. Progress For A Small Planet Three topics dominate discussions of the global environment: pollution; the consequences of the affluent running ever faster through finite resources; and the growing tensions between rich and poor as a third of humanity continues to live and die in desperate poverty. In this exceptional book Barbara Ward (co-author with Rene Dubos of the bestselling Only One Earth) refused to see these processes as inevitable. It describes new technologies for recycling waste, for energy, for 'getting more for less' ,linking them to ordinary people's working lives. It also suggests a strategy for meeting the basic needs of the disadvantaged, and shows how the vast inequalities between countries can be reduced. This perceptive survey of policies outlines a planetary bargain between the world's nations that would guarantee individual freedom from poverty and keep our shared biosphere in good working order. Originally published in 1993
Acid deposition is considered to be one of the greatest threats to the environment in industrialised countries. Recognising this, governments have instituted programmes to reduce emissions of SO2, and NOx, the major sources of acid rain. But is this enough? Will ecosystems damaged by acid rain recover? And if they do, how quickly? What ecosystem processes determine the rate of recovery? Do acidification models give accurate predictions? Are any other actions necessary to promote recovery? To answer such questions without waiting for the results of current policies, scientists in Sweden and the UK decided to eliminate acid deposition on an acidified ecosystem altogether, and monitor the effects. They did this by constructing a huge roof over an acidified catchment near Lake GA rdsjAn in Southwest Sweden. Acid rain falling on the roof is diverted away, and replaced with clean rain. The detailed responses of the ecosystem are measured. This book records the results from the first five years of the Project, and considers the implications for emission control. The book describes the effect of eliminating acid deposition (and some other pollutants) on vital ecosystem processes both chemical and biological and how the predictions of acidification and hydrological models compared with experimental results. It describes the covered catchment, how the roof was constructed and the problems associated with such large experiments. The implications for pollution control policies, and what still needs to be discovered, are emphasised. The book should be of interest to a wide variety of environmental scientists, especially those interested in pollution effects, forestry, freshwater fisheries, andecosystem function, and to environmental managers and policymakers.
In spite of decades of research on toxicants, along with the growing role of scientific expertise in public policy and the unprecedented rise in the number of national and international institutions dealing with environmental health issues, problems surrounding contaminants and their effects on health have never appeared so important, sometimes to the point of appearing insurmountable. This calls for a reconsideration of the roles of scientific knowledge and expertise in the definition and management of toxic issues, which this book seeks to do. It looks at complex historical, social, and political dynamics, made up of public controversies, environmental and health crises, economic interests, and political responses, and demonstrates how and to what extent scientific knowledge about toxicants has been caught between scientific, economic, and political imperatives.
Did dinosaurs contribute to global warming? What is rubbish theory and what indeed is rubbish? And how did the whale become a cuddly toy? And why did we decide to saturate our land and food with pesticides? Dirty Words examines all of these questions and also includes a study of pollution in fiction, from the fogs of Dickens to the smog of Chandler, advice on how to be an environmental troublemaker, and a suggestion of our choice of futures: the world as an icebox or a greenhouse. This entertaining and provocative collection of pieces by a group of environmental experts challenges the reader to take a closer look at the current pollution debate. Originally published in 1991
Responding to the growing need for an aggressive yet conservative approach to evaluating mussel populations, Freshwater Bivalve Ecotoxicology provides a collective review of the techniques and approaches for assessing contaminant impact on freshwater ecosystems. The editors incorporate coverage of research topics and management issues from a cross-section of scientists in the field. They explore current advances in general monitoring of population responses to stressors, fundamental concepts of ecotoxicology specific to burrowing bivalves, and useful insights that offer direction and priority for resolving specific problems challenging protection and conservation efforts. This book lays the groundwork with discussions of topics such as impact assessment, toxicokinetics, biomarkers, and pollution tolerance. The authors then explore fundamental concepts surrounding responses measured in freshwater bivalves as a consequence of chemical exposures or accumulated contaminants in target organs or tissues. They highlight the difficulties encountered with the laboratory culture of these organisms for toxicity testing or other controlled experiments, and examine the use of surrogate test organisms to relate sensitivities of response and reduce pressure on already impacted fauna. The book also reviews innovative field research using in situ bivalve toxicity testing, discusses effects-oriented tissue contaminant assessment, and concludes with threefour specific laboratory or combined field/laboratory ecotoxicology studies. A summary of methods from more than 75 laboratory toxicity studies conducted with freshwater mussels, the book provides an overview of a standardized method for conducting water-only acute and chronic laboratory toxicity tests with glochidia juvenile freshwater mussels. It focuses on studies that report measured contaminant treatments, had robust experimental designs, including replication of control and contaminant treatments, and were publish
Plant-based is best for health, go vegan to help save the planet, eat less meat... Almost every day we are bombarded with the seemingly incontrovertible message that we must reduce our consumption of meat and dairy - or eliminate them from our diets altogether. But what if the pervasive message that the plant-based diet will improve our health and save the planet is misleading - or even false? What if removing animal foods from our diet is a serious threat to human health, and a red herring in the fight against climate change. In THE GREAT PLANT-BASED CON, Jayne Buxton demonstrates that each of these 'what-ifs' is, in fact, a reality. Drawing on the work of numerous health experts and researchers, she uncovers how the separate efforts of a constellation of individuals, companies and organisations are leading us down a dietary road that will have severe repercussions for our health and wellbeing, and for the future of the planet. THE GREAT PLANT-BASED CON is neither anti-plant nor anti-vegan - it is a call for us to take an honest look at the facts about human diets and their effect on the environment. Shocking and eye-opening, this book outlines everything you need to know to make more informed decisions about the food you choose to eat.
Tolerance, the ability of populations to cope with the chemical stress resulting from toxic contaminants, has been described in many organisms from bacteria to fungi, from phytoplankton to terrestrial flowering plants, and from invertebrates such as worms to vertebrates like fish and amphibians. The building of tolerance, be it by physiological acclimation or genetic adaptation, can have great consequences for the local biodiversity, and hence the ecology and ecosystem functioning of many of the world's habitats. Understanding the frequency of the occurrence of tolerance has tremendous implications for the sustainability of biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. Tolerance to Environmental Contaminants takes a multidisciplinary approach across contaminant types, habitats, organisms, biological levels of organization and scientific disciplines. The book examines the general principles governing the acquisition and biological consequences of tolerance, genetically or physiologically based, at different levels of biological organization, taxonomically from bacteria and archaea to flowering plants and vertebrates, and within organisms from molecular biology and biochemistry through physiology to whole organism, community, and ecosystem levels of organization. Presenting a state-of-the-art synthesis of the many aspects of the phenomenon of tolerance to environmental contaminants, this volume covers mechanisms of defense involved in the acquisition of tolerance, different classes of environmental contaminants, positive and negative ecological consequences of tolerance and the impact of tolerance in bacteria, plants, and insects on society. The reviews presented in this book supply the tools for carrying out more informed and therefore more reliable risk-benefit analyses when assessing the ecotoxicological risks to life in any of the contaminated habitats that now surround us in our industrialized society.
Current procedures used for hazard identification and classification are based on persistence, bioaccumulation, and toxicity measurements. Assessing the Hazard of Metals and Inorganic Metal Substances in Aquatic and Terrestrial Systems provides the basis for improvements to the current model for hazard assessment. The book reviews the scientific underpinnings of the use of persistence as applied to metals, including bioavailability, and the use of bioaccumulation to evaluate aquatic species and aquatic-linked food chains. It also examines toxicity procedures as used within PBT approaches and measurements for metals in terrestrial ecosystems. The book brings together a multidisciplinary and international group of scientists, managers, and policy makers from Australia, Belgium, Canada, Germany, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and the United States to discuss various means for assessing the environmental hazard posed by metals and inorganic metal substances. The contributors include representatives from regulatory and nonregulatory government agencies, academia, industry, environmental groups, and consulting firms involved in assessment, management, and basic research of metals and metal substances. They provide a focused discussion of the fate and effects of metals in the environment, incorporating important advances developed over the past decade.
This book details the state-of-the-art methodological advances for delineating the toxicology and working mechanisms of nanomaterials, microplastics, fine aerosol particulates (PM2.5) as well as emerging organic pollutants. It also provides latest computational approaches for toxicity prediction and risk assessment of nanoscale materials which possess realistic chances to enter the environment and human organism. Written by leading scientists at the frontiers of environmental science and nanomedicine, this book is intended for both young researchers and experienced professionals working in the fields of environmental protection, human health and occupational safety, nanotechnology, material science and nanomedicine, as well as graduate students majoring in environmental and health sciences.
This title, first published in 1990, is intended to assess the impact of national environmental control policies on international trade and competitiveness in general, and, in particular, the impact of differential environmental control policies on the international trade and competiveness of the two industrialized nations, Germany and the United States. To assess the impact of differential environmental control policies on trade, this study applies a comparative analysis of the two countries.
This study, originally published in 1972, examines the connections between human society and the rest of the universe that are attributable to economic activity. These include the inputs from the environment to industry, such as oxygen, used in the combustion of mineral fuels. Also included are the industrial outputs which are fed back into the environment in the form of waste products. An attempt will be made to establish functional relations between the extent and character of economic activity and the flow of materials in both directions between the economy and the environment. This title will be of interest to students of environmental and natural resource economics. |
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