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Books > Earth & environment > The environment > Pollution & threats to the environment > General
These Proceedings contain both oral and poster contributions to the first interna tional conference" Field Screening Europe - Strategies and Techniques for On-Site Investigation and Monitoring of Contaminated Soil, Water and Air," held in Karls ruhe September 29 - October 1, 1997. Environmental monitoring and the assessment of chemical contaminations are be coming more and more important. The integrated study of environmental con tamination in the field is a rather recent approach. "Field screening" indicates such field analytical tools, (quick) methods and strategies for on-site or in-situ environmental analysis and assessment of contamination. The classical strategy for investigating contaminants consists of the following steps: site studies, sampling, sample transport to the laboratory, sample preparation, and analysis. This strategy is rather expensive and time consuming. Some investiga tions, including sample preparation, may last several days. In many cases, the results must be available immediately and are of importance for further decisions. Field screening is an alternative or complement to this strategy that attempts to be cheaper and faster and may achieve the same quality of results. The most important argument for field analytical methods is that the superior accuracy and high costs of laboratory methods are disproportional to the possibility of arti facts from sampling and errors originating from spatial variations of contaminants."
Could low-level exposure to polluting chemicals be analogous to exercise-a beneficial source of stress that strengthens the body? Some scientists studying the phenomenon of hormesis (beneficial or stimulatory effects caused by low-dose exposure to toxic substances) claim that that this may be the case. Is A Little Pollution Good For You? critically examines the current evidence for hormesis. In the process, it highlights the range of methodological and interpretive judgments involved in environmental research: choices about what questions to ask and how to study them, decisions about how to categorize and describe new information, judgments about how to interpret and evaluate ambiguous evidence, and questions about how to formulate public policy in response to debated scientific findings. The book also uncovers the ways that interest groups with deep pockets attempt to influence these scientific judgments for their benefit. Several chapters suggest ways to counter these influences and incorporate a broader array of societal values in environmental research: (1) moving beyond conflict-of-interest policies to develop new ways of safeguarding academic research from potential biases; (2) creating deliberative forums in which multiple stakeholders can discuss the judgments involved in policy-relevant research; and (3) developing ethical guidelines that can assist scientific experts in disseminating debated and controversial phenomena to the public. Kevin C. Elliott illustrates these strategies in the hormesis case, as well as in two additional case studies involving contemporary environmental research: endocrine disruption and multiple chemical sensitivity. This book should be of interest to a wide variety of readers, including scientists, philosophers, policy makers, environmental ethicists and activists, research ethicists, industry leaders, and concerned citizens. "This is a timely, well-researched and compelling book .Elliott admirably combines insights and strategies from philosophy of science with those of applied ethics to carefully analyze contemporary science and science policy around pollutants and human health. There is a growing interest in the philosophy of science community in bringing the work of philosophers to bear on contemporary social issues. This book stands out as a model for how to do just that." - Sandra D. Mitchell, Philosophy, University of Pittsburgh Is A Little Pollution Good For You? is a wonderfully clear and insightful book dealing with the interplay between social values and economic and political interests in scientific research. He articulates an account of how societal values should and should not enter into science and illustrates his views with an extended discussion of research on hormesis-the hypothesis that chemicals that are toxic at high doses may be benign or even beneficial at low doses. The chemical industry has a strong financial interest in promoting scientific acceptance of hormesis, as this could convince regulatory agencies to loosen up restrictions on allowable exposures to pesticides and other chemicals. Elliott argues that because scientists have an obligation to minimize the harmful effects of their research, they must be mindful of the social context of their work and how it may be interpreted and applied by private companies or interest groups, to the potential detriment of public and environmental health. Elliott's book is a must read for researchers, scholars, and students who are interested in the relationship between science, industry, and society." - David B. Resnik, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, author of Playing Politics With Science: Balancing Scientific Independence And Government
EUROTRAC is the EUREKA environmental project studying the transport and chemical transformation of pollutants in the troposphere over Europe. At its inception in 1988 it had three aims: * to increase the basic understanding of atmospheric science; * to promote the technological development of sensitive, specific, fast-response instrumentation for environmental research and monitoring; and * to improve the scientific basis for taking future political decisions on environmental management within Europe. It was clear at an early stage, as the fourteen subprojects were formed and more than two hundred research groups in twenty-four countries were incorporated, that the first aim would readily be achieved. An ample demonstration that the early indications were correct is provided in the other volumes in this series which describe the scientific progress made. Substantial progress was also made towards achieving the second aim although some problems were encountered, mainly due to the high cost of the technological development required.
Are the nuclear industry's efforts to prepare the public during emergency situations adequate? This study critiques risk communication programs and questions whether these programs have convinced residents close to nuclear power plants to follow instructions in an emergency. The government invests the responsibility of nuclear risk communication essentially with the utilities that operate the plants, with little supervision by either federal or state officials. The study demonstrates that such programs do not communicate critical safety information, that people living near plants will make decisions in an emergency contrary to those recommended, and that disparity exists between technical and lay perceptions of risk. A unique investigation of non-governmental public communication, the book analyzes the persuasive efforts of corporate advocacy and risk management. Risk communication is seen as a substitute for the more stringent regulatory measures necessary to protect public health and safety in a technological age. Speak No Evil begins with a discussion of issues surrounding risk communication, then describes how the narrative of the promotional history of nuclear power developed and eventually contaminated modern nuclear risk communication messages. Students of organizational communication, rhetoric, political communication, and public relations issue management will find this book illuminating.
Progress and Future of Pyrethroids, by Yoshio Katsuda Pyrethrin Biosynthesis and Its Regulation in Chrysanthemum cinerariaefolium, by Kazuhiko Matsuda Recent Advances of Pyrethroids for Household Use, by Kazuya Ujihara, Tatsuya Mori and Noritada Matsuo The Biological Activity of a Novel Pyrethroid: Metofluthrin, by Masayo Sugano and Takao Ishiwatari Advances in the Mode of Action of Pyrethroids, J. Marshall Clark and Steven B. Symington Mammal Toxicology of Synthetic Pyrethroids, by Ryozo Tsuji, Tomoya Yamada and Satoshi Kawamura Biotransformation and Enzymatic Reactions of Synthetic Pyrethroids in Mammals, by Kazuki Mikata, Naohiko Isobe and Hideo Kaneko Environmental Behavior of Synthetic Pyrethroids, by Toshiyuki Katagi Ecotoxicology of Synthetic Pyrethroids, by S. J. Maund, P. J. Campbell, J. M. Giddings, M. J. Hamer, K. Henry, E. D. Pilling, J. S. Warinton and J. R. Wheeler
Over the past fifteen years regulatory agencies have relied on
their approaches to characterise and control the release of toxic
substances into the aquatic environment: a GC/MS analysis for U.S.
EPA designated 126 priority pollutants and 132 dangerous substances
according to the European 76/464/CEE Directive and on the bioassays
with aquatic bioorganisms.
The book compiles an update information about the state of bioremediation in emerging Latin American countries. Some of the studied regions are sites that suffered decades of pollution by agrochemicals, heavy metals and industrial waste due to the lack of control by government regulations. Such is the case of Northern Argentina, where were illegally deposited over 30 tn of obsolete organochlorine pesticides in 1994. The content has focused in the use of native organisms (from bacteria to plants) as a viable solution to the problem of pollution, using low-cost and powerful techniques, socially well accepted and appropriate from the environmental point of view. In this context, levels of pesticide found in the Latin American population are informed. It was also displayed as a multidisciplinary approach based on concerns of a diverse group of researchers (biochemists, biologists, chemical engineers and geneticists) about a global problem, dealing with specific cases of study, with a view to project their findings to worldwide. In this regard, researchers provide their findings to regulatory sectors, whom could make appropriate decisions.
Is the environment purely a resource for meeting human needs, or does it have value in itself? Should it be protected only to the extent that such protection benefits mankind? This text examines issues such as these in order to illuminate a range of environmental and ethical perspectives which are present in everyday life.
This volume offers a comprehensive analysis of the water resources in the Souss-Massa river basin in southwestern Morocco and provides novel water-management approaches to narrow the gap between supply and demand for water. It evaluates conventional water resources surface water and groundwater and discusses in detail rainfall harvesting into dams along the Souss and Massa wadis. Further, it explores topics including the geology of the aquifer; the risk of over exploitation; alternative water resources, such as desalinated seawater and treated domestic wastewater, as well as management approaches like Data Development Analysis and the SALTMED model. With a focus on linking scientific research to practical applications and the demands of agriculture and associated agro-industry, urbanization and tourism, which compete for the limited water resources, the book appeals to environmental scientists, geologists, engineers and environmental managers.
This book addresses key topics in the current deliberations and debates on low carbon cities that are underway globally. Contributions by experts from around the world focus on the key factors required for creating low carbon cities. These include appropriate infrastructure, ensuring co-benefits of climate actions, making best use of knowledge and information, proper accounting of emissions, and social factors such as behavioral change. Readers will gain a better understanding of these drivers and explore potential transformation pathways for cities. Particular emphasis is given to the current situation of energy consumption and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions at the urban level, stressing the complexity of measuring GHG emissions from cities. Chapters also shed new light on the long-term transformation pathways towards low carbon. This book discusses key challenges and opportunities in all these domains to aid in creating low carbon cities, making it of value to policy makers, researchers in academia and consultants working on climate change and energy issues. "The low carbon cities agenda is of bold ambition and demands rapid societal transformation. This book provides invaluable information and analysis on how the goals of this agenda can be achieved and what will be the significant obstacles in the way. The content in the book goes below the surface to reveal on-the-ground economic, engineering and equity issues that are at the heart of the Paris Climate Agreement and the ensuing policy debates. In this way, Creating Low Carbon Cities serves as a critical scholarly benchmark and as a toolkit for further action." William Solecki, Professor, Institute for Sustainable Cities, City University of New York "Creating Low Carbon Cities provides a refreshingly critical approach to low-carbon urban development, what has been achieved so far and the challenges ahead. It will be an important data-driven resource for local leaders, sustainability practitioners and urban planners." Ms. Monika Zimmermann, Deputy Secretary General, ICLEI-Local Governments for Sustainability
Reviews of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology provides detailed review articles concerned with aspects of chemical contaminants, including pesticides, in the total environment with toxicological considerations and consequences.
The public's attitude toward air pollution in the United States evolved substantially during the 1960s. One of the results of the nation's emerging environmental ethic was the creation of the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in December of 1970. Prior to this time, research was focused on the impacts of air pollution on human health and welfare and was largely conducted by several federal research agencies, which included the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare; the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; and the U. S. Department of Agricul ture. After the creation of the EPA, much of this work was consolidated in one regulatory agency, which resulted in periodic evaluations of the various effects of atmospheric pollution on human health, materials, agriculture, and forest ecosystems. At the same time that environmental interest was growing in the United States, concern increased in the European scientific community and public over the ecological impacts of acidic deposition. As the magnitude of the damage to European lakes and streams and the widespread decline in Norway spruce and silver fir was reported, concern that similar problems were occurring in the United States increased substantially. This concern was heightened by press reports of high elevation spruce-fir forest declines in the Adirondack and Appalachian Mountains and the decline and death of sugar maples in the northeastern United States and Canada.
More countries are now using Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) than ever before. This timely and comprehensive Handbook describes the implementation of SEA in 18 countries around the world, as well as a critical analysis of different SEA methodologies. The Handbook starts by introducing key SEA principles and the legal requirements of the new European SEA Directive (which became law in 2004). It then describes the implementation of SEA in 11 European Union countries, as well as the USA, Canada and New Zealand. This is contrasted with SEA requirements of four developing countries. The Handbook explores public participation issues and the wide-range of SEA methodologies used in terms of resources (soils, water and biodiversity) and sectors of activity (transport, agriculture, waste management and industry). The Handbook concludes with a discussion on best practice, capacity building and the future of SEA.
Transboundary transport of air pollution has been a topic of scientific research for several decades and has also been addressed already by environmental policies. However, the importance of air pollution transport on the largest - intercontinental - scales, has been recognized only recently. It was soon found that the meteorological and chemical processes involved in intercontinental pollution transport are distinctly different from those occurring during regional-scale transport, and thus new scientific methodologies are required for their study. In this book, leading scientists review the current state of knowledge in this emerging field of research, providing the reader with a process understanding of global-scale transport and its influence on the atmosphere's chemical composition. Long-range transport of anthropogenic pollution is contrasted with that of pollution produced by natural processes such as dust storms or forest fires. Furthermore, the prospects for international management of intercontinental transport of anthropogenic pollution are discussed.
Response to Marine Oil Pollution - Review and Assessment is the essential source book, now updated, for all involved in marine oil pollution consequences and response. It covers policy, planning and operations, and provides technical assessment of the true nature of the problem, of the means to maximise the performance of current techniques and equipment, and of the bases for future improvements. This book provides a fundamental understanding of the oil properties and processes which determine the persistence and impacts of oils in the marine environment. It establishes parameters against which to evaluate performance of all current techniques and equipment, and the environmental impacts of their use. It identifies design parameters, and makes proposals for the creation and development of more effective equipment and techniques. The book also shows how a fresh approach to cargo transfer, and the scaling of spillage response provision to oil releases on immediate impact, will be more effective overall, and will ensure that approved waste handling and disposal facilities are not overwhelmed. The recent Sea Empress incident is reviewed to illustrate the points made and conclusions reached, and to emphasise the need for thorough salvage planning for all future incidents.
As we transition into the 21st century, it is apparent that this is an exciting time for environmental engineers and scientists studying remediation technologies. There has been a rapid development of new ways to clean-up polluted groundwater. Research activities of the past and next 10 years will have a dramatic impact on the quality of the subsurface environment for the next century. In 20, or even 10 years from now, our approach to subsurface remediation will probably be vastly different than it is today. Many of the emerging technologies presented in this book will form the basis of standard remediation practices of the future. Physicochemical Groundwater Remediation presents detailed information on multiple emerging technologies for the remediation of the contaminated subsurface environment. All of these technologies apply our knowledge of physical and chemical processes to clean up ground water and the unsaturated zone, and many (if not all) of these emerging technologies will help define standard practices in the future. These technologies include in situ sorptive and reactive treatment walls, surfactant-enhanced aquifer remediation, optimization analyses for remediation system design, chemical, electrochemical, and biochemical remediation processes, and monitored natural attenuation. You will learn how palladium catalyzes the dehalogenation of chlorinated solvents. You will find out how barometric pumping can naturally remove significant quantities of volatile organic pollutants from shallow ground water and the unsaturated zone. You can learn about mobilizing non-aqueous phase liquids (NAPLs) without risking significant downward migration of the NAPL. You can find out how processes such as electroosmosis and electromigration can be exploited for groundwater remediation purposes and how zero-valent iron and zeolite treatment walls can be used in situ to treat and control contaminant plume migration. Contributors to this book are experts in groundwater remediation processes, and they represent industry, consulting, academia, and government. If your work involves the clean up of contaminated soil and groundwater, this book is an essential reference to keep you up to date on the most promising new developments in remediation research.
International concern in scientific, industrial, and governmental communities of xenobiotics in foods and in both abiotic and biotic environments over traces has justified the present triumvirate of specialized publications in this field: comprehensive reviews, rapidly published research papers and progress reports, and archival documentations. These three international publications are inte grated and scheduled to provide the coherency essential for nonduplicative and current progress in a field as dynamic and complex as environmental contamina tion and toxicology. This series is reserved exclusively for the diversified litera ture on "toxic" chemicals in our food, our feeds, our homes, recreational and working surroundings, our domestic animals, our wildlife and ourselves. Tre mendous efforts worldwide have been mobilized to evaluate the nature, pres ence, magnitude, fate, and toxicology of the chemicals loosed upon the earth. Among the sequelae of this broad new emphasis is an undeniable need for an articulated set of authoritative publications, where one can find the latest impor tant world literature produced by these emerging areas of science together with documentation of pertinent ancillary legislation. Research directors and legislative or administrative advisers do not have the time to scan the escalating number of technical publications that may contain articles important to current responsibility. Rather, these individuals need the background provided by detailed reviews and the assurance that the latest infor mation is made available to them, all with minimal literature searching."
The global prevalence of neurodevelopmental disorders is accelerating. Numbers of children affected by an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in the United States have reached 1 in 88 -- 1 in 56 among boys -- and even more children have developed attention deficit/hyperactivity disorders (ADHD). The burden of these disorders to individuals and society overall is enormous; ASD alone costs the United States a staggering $130 billion, with ADHD costs reaching similar heights. Genetic causes of these neurodevelopmental disorders cannot account for such radically increased rates of incidence. The causes must also implicate environmental chemicals, many of which have been shown to disrupt normal thyroid function. In this book, Barbara Demeneix makes the case that thyroid hormone signaling bridges the environment and gene programs needed for brain development--and that environmental chemicals that disrupt normal thyroid function pose significant risks to the inherited intelligence and mental health of future generations. The first chapter provides an historical overview of documented cases in which environmental pollution has caused IQ loss across populations. The following chapters explain the physiology of thyroid hormone action, the importance of iodine and selenium for thyroid hormone signaling and brain development, and why thyroid hormone is such a sensitive target for environmental pollution. The final chapters discuss the role of gene-environment interactions in neurodevelopmental disorders and address what can and must be done by individuals, associations, and decision-makers to staunch these epidemics.
Human impact on natural landscapes through urbanization and agricultural expansion are becoming more and more dramatic and are the cause of serious environmental problems. This volume examines the effect of landscape disturbance on plant and animal diversity in the five mediterranean-climate regions of the world. It begins with three introductory chapters broadly reviewing the issues of landscape degradation. Further contributions describe regional land use conflicts in each of the five regions. Landscape disturbance and plant diversity, and landscape disturbance and animal diversity are treated in separate chapters. Four contributions deal with demography and ecophysiology in vegetation succession following disturbance. The volume closes with a consideration of the future addressing aspects of environmental politics.
Bioremediation - the use of microorganisms for environmental clean-up - is a technology that is experiencing a rapid phase of development. The authors of this text an understanding of the current progress and limitations of technologies that are designed to help nature herself. The book draws together many different aspects of environmental remediation: the environmental engineer is introduced to the bacteria of contaminated environments and the ideas developing from genetic engineering; the environmental microbiologist can grasp site assessment and the predictive kinetic analysis of potentials. The book provides an introduction to the nature of and potential for bioremediation to contribute to a critical global effort in eliminating contamination of the world's resources and to start to reverse decades of environmental mismanagement and neglect.
A panel of respected air pollution control educators and practicing professionals critically survey the both principles and practices underlying control processes, and illustrate these with a host of detailed design examples for practicing engineers. The authors discuss the performance, potential, and limitations of the major control processes-including fabric filtration, cyclones, electrostatic precipitation, wet and dry scrubbing, and condensation-as a basis for intelligent planning of abatement systems, . Additional chapters critically examine flare processes, thermal oxidation, catalytic oxidation, gas-phase activated carbon adsorption, and gas-phase biofiltration. The contributors detail the Best Available Technologies (BAT) for air pollution control and provide cost data, examples, theoretical explanations, and engineering methods for the design, installation, and operation of air pollution process equipment. Methods of practical design calculation are illustrated by numerous numerical calculations.
As the public increasingly questioned the war in Vietnam, a group of American scientists deeply concerned about the use of Agent Orange and other herbicides started a movement to ban what they called "ecocide." David Zierler traces this movement, starting in the 1940s, when weed killer was developed in agricultural circles and theories of counterinsurgency were studied by the military. These two trajectories converged in 1961 with Operation Ranch Hand, the joint U.S.-South Vietnamese mission to use herbicidal warfare as a means to defoliate large areas of enemy territory. Driven by the idea that humans were altering the world's ecology for the worse, a group of scientists relentlessly challenged Pentagon assurances of safety, citing possible long-term environmental and health effects. It wasn't until 1970 that the scientists gained access to sprayed zones confirming that a major ecological disaster had occurred. Their findings convinced the U.S. government to renounce first use of herbicides in future wars and, Zierler argues, fundamentally reoriented thinking about warfare and environmental security in the next forty years. Incorporating in-depth interviews, unique archival collections, and recently declassified national security documents, Zierler examines the movement to ban ecocide as it played out amid the rise of a global environmental consciousness and growing disillusionment with the containment policies of the cold war era.
Chemistry for Sustainable Development in Africa gives an insight into current Chemical research in Africa. It is edited and written by distinguished African scientists and includes contributions from Chemists from Northern, Southern, Western, Eastern, Central and Island state African Countries. The core themes embrace the most pressing issues of our time, including Environmental Chemistry, Renewable Energies, Health and Human Well-Being, Food and Nutrition, and Bioprospecting and Commercial Development. This book is invaluable for teaching and research institutes in Africa and worldwide, private sector entities dealing with natural products from Africa, as well as policy and decision-making bodies and non-governmental organizations.
Reviews of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology attempts to provide concise, critical reviews of timely advances, philosophy, and significant areas of accomplished or needed endeavor in the total field of xenobiotics, in any segment of the environment, as well as toxicological implications.
This book introduces readers to the fundamentals of simulating and analyzing built and natural environments using the Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) method. CFD offers a powerful tool for dealing with various scientific and engineering problems and is widely used in diverse industries. This book focuses on the most important aspects of applying CFD to the study of urban, buildings, and indoor and outdoor environments. Following the logical procedure used to prepare a CFD simulation, the book covers e.g. the governing equations, boundary conditions, numerical methods, modeling of different fluid flows, and various turbulence models. Furthermore, it demonstrates how CFD can be applied to solve a range of engineering problems, providing detailed hands-on exercises on air and water flow, heat transfer, and pollution dispersion problems that typically arise in the study of buildings and environments. The book also includes practical guidance on analyzing and reporting CFD results, as well as writing CFD reports/papers. |
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