Environmental Fate and Transport Analysis with Compartment Modeling explains how to use the powerful, highly flexible, and intuitive compartment approach to estimate the distribution of chemical contaminants in environmental media in time and space. Add this Easy-to-Use Approach to Your Environmental Modeling Toolbox This numerical technique enables readers to easily develop the equations that describe complex environmental problems by assembling the equations out of compartmental building blocks. The compartments may describe spatial subunits of single- or multi-environmental media, and the way one hooks them together implicitly provides the dimensionality of the problem. With this approach, assembling the equations to describe chemical fate and transport in a three-dimensional, multimedia system is fundamentally no more challenging than a one-dimensional, single-medium problem. Go Beyond "Black Box" Modeling with the Flexible GEM Software The book includes access to the Generic Environmental Model (GEM), a new software package developed by the author. This software implements the compartment approach based on user-prepared input files and solves the resulting mathematical equations. It allows readers to solve linear, nonlinear, and steady-state problems and offers four methods for solving dynamic problems. Each solution technique is reviewed, along with the error properties and the criteria for avoiding or minimizing numerical errors. The book also describes solution techniques and the underlying mathematical theory for solving nonlinear systems. Compartment Modeling from the Ground Up, Made Accessible to Non-Mathematicians A user-friendly introduction to environmental compartment modeling for the beginning modeler, this is also a useful resource for the experienced modeler. It combines a reference on compartment modeling with a user's guide to the GEM. Throughout, the GEM is used to illustrate the theory with numerous examples, while the theoretical discussions illuminate the GEM's functionality.

Under the best of circumstances, preparing an environmental impact assessment (EIA) can be a complex and challenging task. Experience indicates that the scope and quality of such analyses varies widely throughout the U.S. as well as internationally. Written to help practitioners and decision-makers apply best professional practices in the development of EIAs, Environmental Impact Assessment: A Guide to Best Professional Practices provides an in depth, yet practical direction for developing a defensible analysis that meets best professional practices. The book describes preparation of five distinct types of assessments: Cumulative Impact Assessment (CIA) Preparing Greenhouse Emission Assessments Preparing Risk Assessments and Accident Analyses Social Impact Assessment (SIA) and Environmental Justice The International Environmental Impact Assessment Process Guiding Principles To date, there is significant variation and disagreement about how such analyses should be prepared. The author introduces best professional practices (BPP) for preparing such EIAs that is intended to meet decision-making and regulatory expectations. He supplies a comprehensive and balanced skill set of tools, techniques, concepts, principles, and practices for preparing these assessments. He also includes directions for developing a comprehensive Environmental Management Systems which can be used to monitor and implement final decisions for such analyses. While the book references the U.S. National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), most of this guidance is generally applicable to any international EIA process consistent with NEPA. With thorough coverage of all aspects of assessments, the book presents a theoretical introduction to the subject as well as practical guidance. It delivers state-of-the-art tools, techniques, and approaches for resolving EIA problems.

Fluvial Hydrosystems provides a unified approach to the study of running waters and aims to provide a scientific basis for sustainable management of rivers. It differs from traditional texts in viewing rivers as structured, four-dimensional systems and integrating ecological and geomorphological approaches to provide a holistic perspective on river dynamics. Advanced students of geomorphology, ecology, environmental science, land use and civil engineering will all benefit from this wide-ranging and stimulating textbook.

Despite the connections between soils and human health, there has not been a great amount of attention focused on this area when compared to many other fields of scientific and medical study. Soils and Human Health brings together authors from diverse fields with an interest in soils and human health, including soil science, geology, geography, biology, and anthropology to investigate this issue from a number of perspectives. The book includes a soil science primer chapter for readers from other fields, and discusses the ways the soil science community can contribute to improving our understanding of soils and human health. Features Discusses ways the soil science community can contribute to the improvement of soil health Approaches human health from a soils-focused perspective, covering the influence of soil conservation and contact with soil on human health Illustrates topics via case studies including arsenic in groundwater in Bangladesh; the use of Agent Orange in Vietnam; heavy metal contamination in Shipham, United Kingdom and Omaha, Nebraska, USA; and electronic waste recycling in China. In a scientific world where the trend has often been ever-increasing specialization and increasingly difficult communication between fields and subfields, the interdisciplinary nature of soils and human health studies presents a significant challenge going forward. Fields with an interest in soils and human health need to have increased cross-disciplinary communication and cooperation. This book is a step in the direction of accessibility and innovation, elucidating the state of knowledge in the meeting of soil and health sciences, and identifying places where more work is needed.

This detailed book provides an accessible compendium of up-to-date methods in the fields of environmental toxicology, molecular toxicology, and toxicogenomics. Organized into four major sections, the volume examines methods utilizing model animal species, such as nematode, fruit fly, mice, chicken, and amphibians, methods using plants to study chemical toxicity, applying the Ames assay to chemical mutagenicity study, as well as methods for environmental chemical analysis. Although this book is divided into these parts, the methods can be used across species. Written for the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Authoritative and practical, Environmental Toxicology and Toxicogenomics: Principles, Methods, and Applications serves as a valuable resource for the scientific community, particularly for young scientists and graduate and undergraduate students, inspiring more research in the vitally important field of environmental toxicity, molecular toxicology, and toxicogenomics.

Presents health benefits and medicinal importance of dietary polyphenols having antioxidative effects and their possible preventive role against oxidative stress (OS)-induced chronic human diseases Summarizes latest understanding on the biochemical mechanism(s) involved in the antioxidative action of dietary polyphenols along with their bioavailability, pharmacokinetic, and toxicological considerations Highlights novel approaches of drug discovery from dietary polyphenols through computational screening of bioactive phytochemical components

The lungs provide a significant opportunity for the introduction of both therapeutic and toxic chemicals into the human body. In occupational and domestic environments, hazardous chemicals can enter the body through the lungs via gases, aerosols, and particulates from natural and anthropogenic sources. Fully updated with new research and discoveries since the last edition, Inhalation Toxicology, Third Edition presents contributions from internationally recognized scientists in the academic, commercial/industrial, and governmental sectors. A pragmatic resource for practicing professionals and students, the book comprehensively examines the relationship between the respiratory system and the toxicology of inhaled substances. Topics include: Regulatory aspects of exposure and testing Testing equipment and procedures Respiratory allergy and irritation of the respiratory tract Risk assessment Toxicology theory Toxicology modeling Toxic effects of some individual toxicants New topics in this third edition include collection and characterization of airborne particulate matter, the inhalation toxicology of asbestos fibers and nanoparticles, and the development of lung-on-a-chip technology for predicting in vivo responses. Each chapter concludes with thought-provoking questions and answers, enhancing the book's educational utility.

Since the first publication of this book in 2007, the field of nanoscience and nanomedicine continues to grow substantially. This second edition, Nanotoxicology: Progress toward Nanomedicine, enlists internationally recognized experts to document the continuing development and rationale for the safe design of engineered nanomaterials (ENM). This includes new improved characterization endpoints, screening, and detection methods for in vitro and in vivo toxicity testing. These tools also contribute greatly to nanosafety research applied to nanomedicines. Topics include The impacts of nanotechnology on biomedicine, including functionalization for tissue-specific targeting, the biointeractions of multifunctional nanoparticle-based therapy, and the ability to control specific physicochemical properties of nanoparticles The requirements for proper detection, measurement, and assessment both for workplace exposure and in consumer products-with a focus on potential health and safety implications Predictive modeling, using quantitative nanostructure activity relationships to predict the pharmacokinetics and biodistribution of nanomaterials in the body Specific methodologies, imaging, and techniques to assess nanomaterials from the manufacturing process to nanomedicine applications Tools for assessing nanoparticle toxicity and the limitations of detection methods for assessing toxicity in both in vivo and in vitro systems and at the single cell and tissue levels Toxicity of nanomaterials to specific organ systems, cell-based targeting to tumors, and other biomedical applications The difficulty of conducting risk assessments and the need for addressing knowledge gaps, especially with long-term studies A roadmap for future research The development of nanotechnology-based products must be complemented with appropriate validated methods to assess, monitor, manage, and reduce the potential risks of ENM to human health and the environment. This volume provides a cogent survey of advances in this area by a well-respected and diverse group of international scientists.

Ecotoxicology is a relatively new scientific discipline. Indeed, it might be argued that it is only during the last 5-10 years that it has come to merit being regarded as a true science, rather than a collection of procedures for protecting the environment through management and monitoring of pollutant discharges into the environment. The term 'ecotoxicology' was first coined in the late sixties by Prof. Truhaut, a toxicologist who had the vision to recognize the importance of investigating the fate and effects of chemicals in ecosystems. At that time, ecotoxicology was considered a sub-discipline of medical toxicology. Subsequently, several attempts have been made to portray ecotoxicology in a more realistic light. Notably, both F. Moriarty (1988) and F. Ramade (1987) emphasized in their books the broad basis of ecotoxicology, encompassing chemical and radiation effects on all components of ecosystems. In doing so, they and others have shifted concern from direct chemical toxicity to man, to the far more subtle effects that pollutant chemicals exert on natural biota. Such effects potentially threaten the existence of all life on Earth. Although I have identified the sixties as the era when ecotoxicology was first conceived as a coherent subject area, it is important to acknowledge that studies that would now be regarded as ecotoxicological are much older. Wherever people's ingenuity has led them to change the face of nature significantly, it has not escaped them that a number of biological con sequences, often unfavourable, ensue."

Many industrialized and developing countries are faced with the assessment of potential risks associated with contaminated land. A variety of human activities have left their impacts on soils in the form of elevated and locally high concentrations of potential toxicants. In several cases sources have not yet been stopped and contamination continues. Decisions on the management of contaminated sites and on the regulation of chemicals in the terrestrial environment require information on the extent to which toxicants adversely affect the life support function of soils. Ecological insights into the soil as an ecosystem may support such decisions. This book reviews the latest ecological principles that should be considered in this respect.

Poisonous mushrooms have fascinated scientists and laypersons alike for thousands of years. Almost all mushroom fatalities are due to the genus Amanita, whose poetic common names (death cap, destroying angel) attest to their lethality. In his classic 1986 book, Theodor Wieland covered the state of our knowledge about the chemistry and biochemistry of the toxins of Amanita mushrooms up until that time, with a particular focus on the decades of chemical research by him and the Wieland dynasty (including his father, brother, brother-in-law, and cousin). Wieland's book is now mainly of historical interest, with its exhaustive overview of the early chemical studies done without benefit of methods taken for granted by modern chemists. This book is a complete top-to-bottom revision of Wieland's 1986 book. The material covers history, chemistry, and biology with equal thoroughness. It should be of interest to natural products chemists and biologists, professional and amateur mycologists, and toxicologists. The three scientific fields that are most relevant to the book are natural products chemistry, mycology, and fungal molecular genetics. Dr. Walton is an expert in all three. To maximize the broad utility and appeal of the book, care has been taken to define all technical terms specific to a particular discipline, so that, for example, mycologists will be able to understand the relevant chemistry, and chemists will be able to understand the relevant fungal biology.

This book provides new information on how various inclusion policies have been implemented in different schools and school districts in North America and in a range of European countries. The purpose of inclusion policy is to prevent the marginalization of people who experience unfavorable circumstances in life. It is an approach to the education of students with disabilities that is based on a commitment to what all members of a free society deserve in order to become fully participating members--a fair chance to find a meaningful place in their own communities. This book is a kind of status report on what inclusive education has achieved and what it may achieve in the future for children and youth with disabilities. It describes the philosophical, legal, and practical terrain covered by inclusion policy in general and inclusive schooling in particular. Contributors assess inclusion policy and suggest ways to reconceptualize it, bringing to their data analysis a depth of experience and knowledge about public schooling in their respective countries. Although inclusion of students with disabilities in general education classes has been embraced by politicians and educators calling for equal opportunity in our society and is being incorporated into national and international education laws, it continues to be controversial and the debate is sometimes heated. A goal of this book is to shed some light on this debate. Is inclusion mostly about student placement? Are students with disabilities attaining social and learning membership in general classrooms? Have they benefitted from inclusion? How about students without disabilities? What have been the benefits? Must learning take second priority to socialization and friendship? Are teachers getting the training they need? How do parents feel about inclusion programs? How do students feel? What kind of curricular accommodations should be made? These and other questions are addressed. This volume is based on original papers presented by the contributing authors in October 1997 at the Rutgers Invitational Symposium on Education on Inclusive Schooling: National and International Perspectives.

This book provides information on best practices and new thinking regarding the validation of alternative methods for toxicity testing. It covers the validation of experimental and computational methods and integrated approaches to testing and assessment. Validation strategies are discussed for methods employing the latest technologies such as tissue-on-a-chip systems, stem cells and transcriptomics, and for methods derived from pathway-based concepts in toxicology. Validation of Alternative Methods for Toxicity Testing is divided into two sections, in the first, practical insights are given on the state-of-the-art and on approaches that have resulted in successfully validated and accepted alternative methods. The second section focuses on the evolution of validation principles and practice that are necessary to ensure fit-for-purpose validation that has the greatest impact on international regulatory acceptance of alternative methods. In this context validation needs to keep pace with the considerable scientific advancements being made in toxicology, the availability of sophisticated tools and techniques that can be applied in a variety of ways, and the increasing societal and regulatory demands for better safety assessment. This book will be a useful resource for scientists in the field of toxicology, both from industry and academia, developing new test methods, strategies or techniques, as well as Governmental and regulatory authorities interested in understanding the principles and practicalities of validation of alternative methods for toxicity testing.

More than 32 years ago, Rachel Carson's Silent Spring appeared upon the scene as a landmark of literary achievement which contributed greatly to the foundation of the modern environmental movement. Rachel Carson had designed Silent Spring to shock the public into action against the misuse of chemical pesticides. More than anything else, the book also served as an ecological primer, demonstrating the interrelationship of all things and the dependence of each on a healthy environment for survival. Today, Silent Spring is generally credited with providing impetus to the whole range of anti-pollution laws that came into force in the 1970s. It is also perceived as having played a crucial role in the eventual banning of DDT as well as in the restricted use or total phasing out of the most notorious hard pesticides identified in the book. The vigorous growth of the chemical industry geared to the production of newer and ever more powerful pesticides can be traced to the introduc tion of the organochlorine insecticide DDT in the 1940s. These pesticides were meant not only to control insects but also animal pests, disease and weeds. Initially their development was based on the belief that they would provide a definitive solution to pest and vector problems."

This book, the first of three volumes, provides a thorough background to the emerging field of neurobehavioral toxicology by looking at current clinical approaches and tests, as well as assessing current clinical research. The analysis of the impact of toxins on the human nervous system is particularly pertinent given the ongoing expansion of pharmaceuticals, industrial hazards, biological warfare and global pollution. A comprehensive introduction to neurobehavioral toxicology, this work will be of interest to practicing neurologists and neuropsychologists, as well as to occupational medicine physicians and medical toxicologists.

Polymers have undoubtedly changed the world through many products that improve our lives. However, additives used to modify the overall characteristics of these materials may not be fully disclosed or understood. These additives may present possible environmental and health hazards. It is important to monitor consumer products for these compounds using high-quality reference materials and dependable analytical techniques. The Handbook for the Chemical Analysis of Plastic and Polymer Additives, Second Edition provides the necessary tools for chemists to obtain a more complete listing of additives present in a particular polymeric matrix. It is designed to serve as a valuable source for those monitoring a polymer/plastic material for regulatory or internal compliance. It also helps analysts to correctly identify the complex nature of the materials that have been added to the polymer/plastic. With 50 additional compounds, this second edition nearly doubles the number of additives in several categories, including processing aids, antistatic compounds, mould release products, and blowing agents. It includes a listing that can be cross-referenced by trade name, chemical name, CAS number, and even key mass unit ions from the GC/MS run. Addressing additives from an analytical viewpoint, this comprehensive handbook helps readers identify the additives in plastics. This information can be used to assess compliance with regulations issued by the FDA, US EPA, EU, and other agencies.

Ecotoxicology is a relatively new scientific discipline. Indeed, it might be argued that it is only during the last 5-10 years that it has come to merit being regarded as a true science, rather than a collection of procedures for protecting the environment through management and monitoring of pollutant discharges into the environment. The term 'ecotoxicology' was first coined in the late sixties by Prof. Truhaut, a toxicologist who had the vision to recognize the importance of investigating the fate and effects of chemicals in ecosystems. At that time, ecotoxicology was considered a sub-discipline of medical toxicology. Subsequently, several attempts have been made to portray ecotoxicology in a more realistic light. Notably, both Moriarty (1988) and F. Ramade (1987) emphasized in their books the broad basis of ecotoxicology, encompassing chemical and radiation effects on all components of ecosystems. In doing so, they and others have shifted concern from direct chemical toxicity to humans, to the far more subtle effects that pollutant chemicals exert on natural biota. Such effects potentially threaten the existence of all life on earth. Although I have identified the sixties as the era when ecotoxicology was first conceived as a coherent subject area, it is important to acknowledge that studies that would now be regarded as ecotoxicological are much older.

Chromium and its compounds are widely used by modern industries resulting in large quantities of this element being discharged into the environment and there is now a growing concern about the effects of chromium in the environment. This volume provides a comprehensive assessment of the uses of chromium, its sources and occurrence in the air, water and soils. It gives a detailed and expert description of chromium chemistry, analytical chemistry, biochemistry and known health effects. It also contains a comprehensive compendium of epidemiological data listed according to exposure type along with models of toxicity. Most of the known environmental and health effects of chromium are treated here along with a discussion of dose-response relationships. A key aspect of the book and one of its most useful features is that it serves as a guide to the analytical procedures and their limitations that are suitable for use in environmental and biological monitoring.

The Comprehensive Sourcebook of Bacterial Protein Toxins, Fourth Edition, contains chapters written by internationally known and well-respected specialists. This book contains chapters devoted to individual toxins, as well as chapters that consider the different applications of these toxins. Considerable progress has been made in understanding the structure, function, interaction and trafficking into cells, as well as mechanism of action of toxins. Bacterial toxins are involved in the pathogenesis of many bacteria, some of which are responsible for severe diseases in human and animals, but can also be used as tools in cell biology to dissect cellular processes or used as therapeutic agents. Novel recombinant toxins are already proposed in the treatment of some diseases, as well as new vaccines. Alternatively, certain toxins are also considered as biological weapons or bioterrorism threats. Given the multifaceted aspects of toxin research and the multidisciplinary approaches adopted, toxins are of great interest in many scientific areas from microbiology, virology, cell biology to biochemistry and protein structure. This new edition is written with a multidisciplinary audience in mind and contains 5 new chapters that reflect the latest research in this area. Other chapters have been combined, deleted and fully revised as necessary to deliver relevant and valuable content.

Chemical substances, physical agents and built structures bear various types of hazard due to their immanent toxic, mutagenic, carcinogenic, reprotoxic and sensitizing character or being destructive for the immune and hormone system. The first step in managing the environment contaminated by chemical substances is to characterize the hazard and quantify their risk manifested when the chemical substances interact with the environment. Chemical models - using only chemical analytical data - are still the most widespread ones for the assessment of adverse effects and the fate and behavior of chemicals in the environment. The chemical models rely on the assumption that the adverse effect is proportional to the concentration, which does not apply in most cases. Other models, such as biological and ecological ones or the regression models are discussed in detail and compared to each other. Environmental risk management has two compartments: risk assessment and risk reduction. Environmental risk comes to a large extent from adverse effects of chemicals and contaminated land; that is why measuring and testing these adverse effects play a key role in risk management.Environmental Toxicology deals with direct measurement of adverse effects of pure chemicals or environmental samples. This book overviews hundreds of standardized and non-standardized, generic and site-specific, conventional and innovative, animal and alternative test methods and demonstrates the utilization of their results for the purposes of regulation and managing environmental risk. The volume gives a general overview on environmental toxicology adapted for engineers. In addition to human, aquatic and terrestrial toxicity measuring methods, new trends in environmental analytics and the integration and complementary use of chemical analyses and the testing of effects are described. Bioavailability and accessibility as key parameters are detailed and the interactive and dynamic testing for their characterization is introduced. Great emphasis is placed on the evaluation and interpretation of environmental fate and adverse effect data as well as the simulation of environmental processes and effects in microcosms and mesocosms.

Toxicology has never been more important. Advances in chemistry and technology offering improvements in the quality of human life become ever more rapid, bringing with them the potential for new toxicity hazards. This has led to legislation requiring toxicity testing and risk assessment for all chemicals and their uses. The new REACH (Risk Evaluation and Authorization of Chemicals) Regulation has profound economic consequences because, without official authorization, a chemical cannot be marketed. This book explains, in depth, the ideas underlying current advances in toxicology and its application in regulating and ensuring the safe use of chemicals. Sometimes old ideas have become assumptions that have become embedded in related laws and regulation, even though the thinking of toxicologists has moved on in line with developments in science. This leads to confusion in public understanding that the book should dispel. There are also fundamental ideas in toxicology that are not well understood concerning the concepts of hazard and risk and even about what constitutes a chemical. For many people the word 'chemical' describes manmade substances only. In fact, it is correctly applied to all substances that exist, from pure elements to the most complex biological molecules in food and medicines. This is further complicated by the complex distinction between the descriptors, 'toxic' and 'nontoxic'. Developments in epigenetics are revolutionizing our understanding of mutagenicity and carcinogenicity. Improved understanding of apoptosis and necrosis leads to improved interpretation of potentially toxic effects at the cellular level. The recently defined term 'chemical speciation' is driving more targeted research on the toxicity of inorganic chemicals. This book explains the concepts implied by key toxicological terms using diagrams to illustrate the relationships between them. It is an essential aid to understanding the new demands from regulators of risk assessment and to the implementation of appropriate risk management.

This book is a comprehensive review of the instrumental analytical methods and their use in environmental monitoring site assessment and remediation follow-up operations. The increased concern about environmental issues such as water pollution, air pollution, accumulation of pollutants in food, global climate change, and effective remediation processes necessitate the precise determination of various types of chemicals in environmental samples. In general, all stages of environmental work start with the evaluation of organic and inorganic environmental samples. This important book furnishes the fundamentals of instrumental chemical analysis methods to various environmental applications and also covers recent developments in instrumental chemical methods. Covering a wide variety of topics in the field, the book: * Presents an introduction to environmental chemistry * Presents the fundamentals of instrumental chemical analysis methods that are used mostly in the environmental work. * Examines instrumental methods of analysis including UV/Vis, FTIR, atomic absorption, induced coupled plasma emission, electrochemical methods like potentiometry, voltametry, coulometry, and chromatographic methods such as GC and HPLC * Presents newly introduced chromatographic methodologies such as ion electrophoresis, and combinations of chromatography with pyrolysis methods are given * Discusses selected methods for the determinations of various pollutants in water, air, and land Readers will gain a general review of modern instrumental method of chemical analysis that is useful in environmental work and will learn how to select methods for analyzing certain samples. Analytical instrumentation and its underlying principles are presented, along with the types of sample for which each instrument is best suited. Some noninstrumental techniques, such as colorimetric detection tubes for gases and immnosassays, are also discussed.

This book provides an overview of Asphyxial Deaths which includes hanging, strangulation, choking, smothering, gagging, drowning, aspiration, mechanical and chemical asphyxiants, etc. Postmortem examination often leads to doubts as a clear distinction between the different type of asphyxia cannot be made easily. Forensic and physiological aspects are discussed with the help of illustrative cases. The author discusses the different aspects of asphyxia deaths and substantiates multiple case studies to establish a scientific approach that can act as a guideline to the autopsy surgeon in providing a precise opinion and clarify doubts for the judiciary involved in such criminal justice cases. Key Features * Presents individual case studies of Asphyxial deaths. * Covers the guidelines to be followed by the autopsy surgeons in different cases. * Discusses the physiological aspects of Asphyxial deaths in detail. * Illustrates the cases in a stepwise manner with more than 350 colored photographs of postmortem examination.

The field of humic matter research has undergone drastic changes in concepts and principles since the first edition of Humic Matter in Soil and the Environment: Principles and Controversies was published more than a decade ago. Still the only book of its kind specifically addressing humic acid principles and controversies, the Second Edition presents the newest advances in humic acid science. Eleven new and rewritten chapters replace the original nine, with updated material representing modern humic acid chemistry. This includes the delineation of organic matter, humus, and humic matter. The book begins by considering organic matter as a whole, describing terrestrial and aquatic organic matter. It examines humus as a mixture of humified and nonhumified organic matter, focusing also on the importance of the nonhumified fraction-plant biopolymers in their original or slightly decomposed forms-as raw materials for formation of the humic fraction. The book then presents concepts of humic matter, referred to as humic acid, covering a range of ideas from traditional views of biopolymers to the latest concepts based on micellar, supramolecular, and nanotube chemistry. The author presents the major pathways of humification and discusses humification theories. He also examines the extraction, isolation, and fractionation of humic matter. The book reviews the chemical composition and model structures of humic acids, the chemical and spectroscopic characterization of humic substances, and the electrochemical properties of humic matter. It also addresses the agronomic, environmental, and industrial (including pharmaceutical) importance of humic matter. This revised and updated edition continues the tradition of providing comprehensive coverage of the genesis, extraction, properties, and impacts of humic matter.

This title includes a number of Open Access chapters. Although adverse health effects of heavy metals have been known for a long time, exposure to heavy metals continues and is even increasing in some areas. Remediating heavy metal contaminated soils and water is necessary to reduce the associated health and ecological risks, make the land resource available for agricultural production, enhance food security, and scale down land tenure problems. This book discusses the causes and the environmental impact of heavy metal contamination. It then explores many exciting new methods of analysis and decontamination currently studied and applied in the field today.