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Books > Earth & environment > The environment > Waste management
Pollution threatens the Laurentian Great Lakes and is a serious problem. This book examines what is known about the major classes of persistent toxic organic pollutants. Agricultural runoff, urban waste, industrial discharge, landfill leachate, and atmospheric deposition, are all to blame. Contamination of the various ecosystems is reviewed, and what is known about the effects of this pollution. This volume provides an invaluable resource for those in environmental research, measurements, and decision making concerning the Great Lakes.
Nearly thirty years after creation of the most advanced and expensive hazardous waste cleanup infrastructure in the world, this book provides a much-needed lens through which the Superfund program should be assessed and reshaped. Focusing on the lessons of adaptive management, it explores new concepts and tools for the cleanup and reuse of contaminated sites, and for dealing with the uncertainty inherent in long-term site stewardship.
In this volume the authors offer a comprehensive treatment of all aspects of waste disposal and management. They illustrate these aspects using numerous practical examples. They have included a comparison of regulations in the United States, Canada and Japan, as well as a review of United States environmental legislation - both Federal and State - and a variety of case studies such as Recycling Hawaii and barge wastes.
This book analyses the treatment of uncertainties within risk management and regulation for hazardous wastes, in five national case-studies. It is shown that, although institutional uncertainties vary between national political cultures, regulatory bureaucracies everywhere understate these more fundamental uncertainties (which are often structural conflicts, of different rationalities) and define them instead as marginal technical uncertainties or imprecision in risk-definitions. Close comparative analysis shows that technical regulatory standards depend upon their local institutional setting in systematic ways, so that conventional regulatory emphasis on technical precision or standardisation should be replaced by greater social negotiation, and educated public involvement and control. Readers will find the book valuable for its novel analytical approach especially in relation to public acceptance issues, and the argument for fresh practical approaches derived from this; in addition there is new information and analysis from the descriptive materials in case studies. Its main aim is to stimulate fresh thinking and approaches to an urgent problem.
"Heavy Metals: Problems and Solutions" is divided into three sections dealing with basic geochemical processes, remediation and case studies. The basic geochemical processes are discussed with respect to mobility in the environment and impact as well as methods to derive guidelines for heavy metals. Remediation focuses on currently available methods to treat contaminated sediments and soils. In addition, it considers the concept of geochemical engineering for remediation of large areas contaminated by metals. A number of case studies of polluted sediments and soils and their environmental impact highlight the principles discussed in the first two sections.
Controversies concerning the siting of facilities for the disposal and treatment of hazardous but also domestic waste are widespread in all of the industrialized countries. The paradoxical situation of projects that are needed for environmental reasons and are opposed on environmental grounds has been addressed by scholars and by policy-makers searching for solutions. However, only in a few cases have waste disposal facilities actually been built and made operational. The aim of the book (which illustrates the results of a research project financed by the EU-DGXII) is to investigate the decision-making processes for the siting and creation of waste facilities, in order to identify the factors for predicting success. Adopting a Public Policy Analysis approach the book presents six cases of successful decision-making on waste facilities siting in France, Italy, The Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland and Slovenia, drawing lessons for the redefinition of public policy-making in the field of waste treatment. The conclusions of this book are interesting for all fields of public policy where conflict is a relevant problem. This book is also of interest to scholars in the environmental field, as well as in public policy analysis, and to practitioners and (public or private) actors involved in environmental policy.
Mineral processing technologies have been used for decades to protect the environment and many examples of such applications are given here. The book covers four major subject areas: fundamentals; environmental pollution and its prevention; separation processes; and innovative techniques. Audience: Scientists, engineers and technologists conducting both applied and basic research into the different environmental aspects of mineral processing.
In this day and age, it is unfortunate that the economic prosperity and development leads to disruption of the dynamic balance of the environment. The philosophy of sustainable development has been presented for a long period of time but it has not been able to bring about a substantial change in our society. The transformation of this philosophy into a practical reality seems to be far away - at least in the foreseeable future. In my opinion, the only way I see the revolution taking place is for us to incorporate 'sustainability' in our daily living and to keep pushing for a sustainable society. Meanwhile, we also need scientists to work on technologies that would lead us to that goal at a faster pace. Technologies that are 'completely' environmentally friendly are needed urgently. And if such technologies or ideas of one exists, a platform is required that showcases such ideas to the scientific and non-scientific audience. Through this book, I am happy to present the thoughts of seven different research groups whose work may lead us to the doorsteps of sustainable society. As scientists, most of us specialize in a sub-topic that may be related to one of the three environmental components - air, land, or water. Over a period of time, we become so engrossed with the sub-discipline of our specialization that we only have glimpses of what is happening in other disciplines.
Edited by Reinhard Kirsch, this book demonstrates the use of geophysics for the detection and delineation of groundwater resources. As well as being an excellent reference, it could also be used as a textbook. An addition to the bookshelf of any geophysicist.
The first summer study at IIASA brought together a cross-section of individ uals from different disciplines and nationalities. All the participants have had an interest in the role of risk analysis given the institutional arrangements which guide decision making for new technologies. This book contains edited versions of the papers presented at the meeting as well as a transcript of the discussions which took place. It provides the ingredients for a broader framework fcr studying the problems associated with technology and society where risk is representative of a much wider set of concerns than simply the probability and consequences of a hazardous accident. The Bundesministerium fuer Forschung und Technologie has an interest in promoting risk and safety research because of these new developments in society over the past ten years. In particular, there has been a diminished confidence in experts' statements on risk and a realization that many of the events which are being examined are not subject to detailed scientific analysis. There has also been an increasing recognition that distinctions must be made between analysis of the risk associated with an event and people's values and preferences. Another important development is the concern by the public that they participate more fully in the decision process on these issues. These concerns were articulated in both the papers and the open discussions at the summer study."
Following the end of World War II there was a major migra tion of population in the United States and Scandinavian countries to urban areas. As a result of this migration and in part due to the public works moratoria imposed during the war, a major pro gram of sewer construction was instigated, which resulted in the collection and subsequent concentration of large volumes of waste water at single discharge points. As the assimilative capacity of these receiving waters was exceeded, it led to or aggravated existing water pollution problems in these waters. To mitigate this degradation of water quality a massive program to construct wastewater treatment facilities was instigated. In addition, large amounts of money were spent on research to improve the technology of the conventional collection and treatment concept. In contrast, the wastewater disposal problem of the rural home owner received little attention, and in most cases the septic tank soil absorption system (ST-SAS) was the interim solution. In recent years there has been a fundamental change in the population growth pattern in the US and Scandinavian countries. It appears that a great many people are moving back to rural areas where they seem to prefer the suburban or small town envi ronment, yet at the same time want all the conveniences of urban life. The provision of proper wastewater disposal facilities presents a very perplexing problem, because the capital and operating costs of conventional sewers are usually financially impractical for rural areas.
The past 30 years have seen the emergence of a growing desire worldwide that positive actions be taken to restore and protect the environment from the degrading effects of all forms of pollution-air, water, soil, and noise. Because pollution is a direct or indirect consequence of waste, the seemingly idealistic demand for "zero discharge" can be construed as an unrealistic demand for zero waste. However, as long as waste continues to exist, we can only attempt to abate the subsequent pollution by converting it to a less noxious form. Three major questions usually arise when a particular type of pollution has been identi?ed: (1) How serious is the pollution? (2) Is the technology to abate it available? and (3) Do the costs of abatement justify the degree of abatement achieved? This book is one of the volumes of the Handbook of Environmental Engineering series. The principal intention of this series is to help readers formulate answers to the last two questions above. The traditional approach of applying tried-and-true solutions to speci?c pollution problems has been a major contributing factor to the success of environmental en- neering, and has accounted in large measure for the establishment of a "methodology of pollution control. " However, the realization of the ever-increasing complexity and interrelated nature of current environmental problems renders it imperative that intelligent planning of pollution abatement systems be undertaken.
In Physical Processes in Estuaries the present day knowledge of the physics of transport phenomena in estuaries and their mathematical treatment is summarized: It is divided into following parts: - Water movements in estuaries - Estuarine fronts and river plumes - Internal waves and interface stability - Fine sediment transport, aggregation of particles, settling velocity of mud flocs - Sedimentation and erosion of fine sediments. For each topic an up-to-date review and recommendations for future research are given, followed by results of original studies. Since estuarine environments are the first to be threatened by urbanization and industrial exploitation this book is an important tool for students and researchers of environmental problems as well as for consultants and water authorities.
The purpose of this book is to investigate the suitability and applicability of available methods for analyzing the human and ecological risks involved in the release of genetically-modified microorganisms. Main topics include: - risk analysis and assessment; approach to safety assurance; - inventory of available scientific risk assessment methods for biotechnology; - identification of methodology gaps and research needs in biology, ecology or other disciplines; - development of a general framework to guide future biotechnology risk assessment efforts; - international regulatory activities.
During the past few years the worlds has reverberated of names like Seveso, Love Canal, Lekkerkerk, Times Beach, just to name the most publicized ones. All these names are connected with hazardous or toxic waste, waste from business and industry, especially the chemical industry. The list is endless because there are, all over the world, many thousands of "points noirs" not yet discovered or identified old lagoons and landfills, polluted rivers, estuaries, and harbors needing remedial action, which undoubtedly will reveal more unpleasant secrets of the chemical industry's past. It is not an exaggerated statement that chemists of the past have paid too much attention to the composition of new products while neglecting the disposition of byproducts, i.e., chemical waste. Admittedly, during the last decade this attitude has changed dramatically. Although we cannot yet properly speak of a new science of peri ontology (the theory of residues), we seem to be headed towards substantiated rules, analyses, disposal protocols, definitions and remedial practices in handling the problems of chemical waste. Especially during the last two years comprehensive treatises of the whole complex subject as well as monographs dealing with assorted aspects of waste tech nology have appeared."
I am pleased to be able to introduce this book by Monsieur lean-Claude Gall, firstly because it is a book, secondly because its author has been a colleague for 15 years, and finally because it is a book which demonstrates the growing importance of Palaeobiology. "Because it is a book." I have already commented else where on the value which the Earth Science community places on a book. And here I am speaking, not of a thesis or a specialised memoir, which are always precious, but of a manual or text, which draws on the experts in the service of all. In the years preceding and following the Second World War, the number of "books" written by French geologists could be counted on the fingers of one hand. Today I am happy to see that the number of geological "books" is increas ing in France, taking the word "geology" in its broadest sense. This I see as a sign of the growth of the Earth Sciences."
The zone where land and sea meet is composed of a variety of complex environments. The coastal areas of the world contain a large percentage of its population and are therefore of extreme economic importance. Industrial, residential, and recreational developments, as well as large urban complexes, occupy much of the coastal margin of most highly developed countries. Undoubtedly future expansion in many undeveloped maritime countries will also be concentrated on coastal areas. Accompanying our occupation of coasts in this age of technology is a dependence on coastal environments for transportation, food, water, defense, and recreation. In order to utilize the coastal zone to its capacity, and yet not plunder its resources, we must have extensive knowledge of the complex environments contained along the coasts. The many environments within the coastal zone include bays, estuaries, deltas, marshes, dunes, and beaches. A tremendously broad range of conditions is represented by these environments. Salinity may range from essentially fresh water in estuaries, such as along the east coast of the United States, to extreme hypersaline lagoons, such as Laguna Madre in Texas. Coastal environments may be in excess of a hundred meters deep (fjords) or may extend several meters above sea level in the form of dunes. Some coastal environments are well protected and are not subjected to high physical energy except for occasional storms, whereas beaches and tidal inlets are continuously modified by waves and currents.
In March, 1983 a workshop on Pollutants in Porous Media was hosted by the Institute of Soils and Water of the Agricultural Research Organi zation in Bet Dagan, Israel. At this workshop, the unsaturated zone be tween the soil surface and groundwater was the focal point of discus sions for scientists from various disciplines such as soil chemists, physicists, biologists and environmental engineers. Since then, the prob lem of soil and water pollution has only worsened as more and more cases of pollution caused by human activities including agriculture and industry have been revealed. A great deal of work has been carried out by environmental scientists since 1983 in elucidating the behavior of the many classes of pollutants and the complex physical, chemical, and bio logical transformations which they undergo as they move through the soil to the vadose zone and, in many cases, the groundwater. In light of this, it was felt that another meeting of specialists from the many disciplines which deal with this subject was necessary and so a Second International Workshop on the Behavior of Pollutants in Porous Media, sponsored by IUPAC (the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry) and IAHS (the International Association of Hydrological Sciences), was organized and held in the Institute of Soils and Water of the Agricultural Research Organization in Bet Dagan, Israel during 1987. June, The present volume is a selection of the talks presented at this second workshop and deals only with toxic organic chemicals in porous media."
Nowadays, major environmental issues are the object of large public debates de- spite the fact that scientific knowledge is often insufficient to draw unequivocal conclusions. Such is the case in the ongoing debate regarding the specific contri- butions of anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions and of natural climate changes to global warming. At least 10 to 20 years of additional observations will be re- quired, before we will be able to conclude, with certainty, on this subject. In the mean time, and as directed by their immediate interests, people will continue to promote contradictory opinions. The media are, in part, responsible for perpetuat- ing such debates in that they convey indiscriminately the opinion of highly credi- ble scientists as that of dogmatic researchers, the latter, unfortunately too often expressing working hypotheses as established facts. Naturally, in a similarly mis- informed manner, pressure groups tend to support the researcher whose opinions most closely represent either their particular ideological battles or their economic interests and, hence, in their own way, add further to the confusion and obscurity of the debate. Only a few years ago, mercury (Hg)contamination in hydroelectric reservoirs was the object of such media and social biases. At the time, analytical data used to support the discourse were themselves uncertain and numerous hypotheses, often times fanciful, were proposed and hastily "delivered" to the public.
The importance of protecting the environment against pollution is an objective which gained international acceptance in the recent years. According to the first principle of the Declaration of the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment which took place in Stockholm in 1972, "man .... bears a solemn responsibility to protect and improve the environment for present and future genera tions." The United Nations again in their desire to improve the sanitation conditions allover the world decided to proclaim the period between 1981-1990 as the "International Drinking Water Supply and Sanitation Decade." Although attempts have been made by inter national organizations to prevent pollution, it is difficult to say that these attempts gave satisfactory results in developing countries. The most common reasons of failure are: a) To find solutions to their environmental problems, develop ing countries usually seek the assistance of engineers and scientists from developed countries. Many times, how ever, either out of ignorance of the local condition or due to financial motivations, these experts come out with solutions which are far from being considered as the "most appropriate." As a result, the basic objective of protecting the environment is not achieved. b) Attempts made by developed countries to "export" their wastes - especially the hazardous ones - to the developing world, is another danger - and sometimes reason of failure encountered in the field of Environmental Management."
In 1982, three conservationists in the United States discussed a growing concern they shared about the long-term biological consequences of nuclear war; they wondered what such a war would do to the air, the water, the soils 1 the natural systems upon which all life depends. I was one of those three; the others were executives of two philanthropic foundations, Robert L. Allen of the Henry P. Kendall Foundation and the late Robert W. Scrivner of the Rockefeller Family Fund. Together we began trying to find out what the scientific community was doing about the problem and what steps could be taken to alert the environmental movement to the need to address the subject. We knew that a large-scale nuclear war might kill from 300 million to a billion people outright and that another billion could suffer serious injuries requiring immediate medical attention, care that would be largely unavailable. But what kind of world wouldisurvivors face? Would the long-term consequences prove to humanity and survival of all species than the to be even more serious immediate effects? We found that comparatively little scientific research had been done about the envifonmental consequences of a nuclear war of the magni tude that toda, y's huge arsenal could unleash . ."
Volume 9 of Chemical Mutagens consists mainly of chapters discussing the development and validation of short-term assays to detect the mutagenic effects of environmental chemicals. These chapters include an assay with the grasshopper neuroblast, a comparison of mutagenic responses of human lung-derived and skin-derived diploid fibroblasts, a forward-mutation assay in Salmonella, a multigene sporulation test in Bacillus subtilis, a specific locus assay in mouse lymphoma cells, a study of the induction of bacteriophage lambda, and the granuloma pouch assay. In addition, there are two chapters on the identification of mutagens in cooked food and in human feces. Frederick 1. de Serres Research Triangle Park, North Carolina vii Contents Chapter 1 The Grasshopper Neuroblast Short-Term Assay for Evaluating the Effects of Environmental Chemicals on Chromosomes and Cell Kinetics 1 Mary Esther Gaulden, Jan C. Liang, and Martha J. Ferguson 1. Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 2. Embryo Supply. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 2. 1. Species. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 2. 2. Origin of Colonies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 2. 3. Life Cycle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 2. 4. Colony Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 2. 5. Pathology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 2. 6. Allergy to Grasshoppers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 3. Grasshopper Egg, Embryo, and Cells . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 3. 1. The Egg Shell and Membranes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 3. 2. Embryonic Development . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 3. 3. Cells . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 4. Methods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 4. 1. Exposure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 4. 2. Preparation of Embryos for Cell Analysis . . . . . . . . . 34 4. 3. Analysis of Mutagen Effects. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 . . . 5. Response of the Grasshopper Neuroblast to Mutagens . . . . 50 5. 1. Reproducibility of Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 5. 2. Radiation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 5. 3. Chemical Mutagens . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
When did man discover nuclear waste? To answer this question, we first have to ask if nuclear waste really is something that could be called a scientific discovery, such as might deserve a Nobel Prize in physics. In early writings within nuclear energy research radioactive waste appears to be a neglected issue, a story never told. Nuclear waste first seems to appear when a public debate arose about public health risks of nuclear power in the late 1960s and early 70s. In nuclear physics, consensus was established at an early stage about the understanding of the splitting of uranium nuclei. The fission products were identified and their chains of disintegration and radioactivity soon were well established facts among the involved scientists, as was an awareness of the risks, for example the strong radioactivity of strontium and iodine, and the poisonous effects of plutonium. However, the by-products were never, either in part or in total, called or perceived as waste, just as fission by-products. How and where to dispose of the by-products were questions that were never asked by the pioneers of nuclear physics."
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS IX PART I CONFERENCE SUMMARY STATEMENT R. W. BROCKSEN, W. CHOW, E. D. DAUGHERTY, Y. G. MUSSALLI, J. WISNIEWSKI and A. L. WOODIS I Clean Water: Factors that Influence its Availability, Quality and its Use: Summary of the International Water Conference 3-7 PART II WATER RESOURCE OVERVIEWS S. PECK I Managing and Protecting Our Water Resources 11-20 R. BROCKSEN, W. CHOW and K. CONNOR I Addressing Electric Utility Surface Water Challenges 21-29 C. LOHSE-HANSON I Lake Superior Binational Program: The Role of Electric Utilities 31-40 J. A. VEIL and D. O. MOSES I Consequences of Proposed Changes to Clean Water Act Thermal Discharges 41-52 PART III ECOLOGICAL I HEALTH RISKS c. SEIGNEUR, E. CONSTANTINOU and L. LEVIN I Multipathway Health Risk Assessment of Power Plant Water Discharges 55-64 C. W. CHEN, J. HERR, R. A. GOLDSTEIN, F. J. SAGONA, K. E. RYLANT and G. E. HAUSER I Watershed Risk Analysis Model for TVA's Holston River Basin 65-70 S. FERSON, L. R. GINZBURG and R. A. GOLDSTEIN I Inferring Ecological Risk from Toxicity Bioassays 71-82 C. ARQUIETT, M. GERKE and I. DATSKOU I Evaluation of Contaminated Groundwater Cleanup Objectives 83-92 G. L. BOWIE, J. G. SANDERS, G. F. RIEDEL, C. C. GILMOUR, D. L. BREITBURG, G. A. CUTIER and D. B. PORCELLA / Assessing Selenium Cycling and Accumulation in Aquatic Ecosystems 93-104 D. W. RODGERS, J. SCHRODER and L.
Industrial ecology (IE) is a rapidly growing scienti?c discipline that is concerned with the sustainability of industrial systems under explicit consideration of its int- dependence with natural systems. In recent years, there has been an ever-increasing awareness about the applicability of Input-Output Analysis (IOA) to IE, in particular to LCA (life cycle assessment) and MFA (material ?ow analysis). This is witnessed in the growing number of papers at ISIE (International Society for Industrial Ec- ogy) conferences, which use IOA, and also by the installment of subject editors on IOA in the International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment. It can be said that IE has become a major ?eld of application for IOA. The broadening of users of IOA from various backgrounds implies a need for a self-contained textbook on IOA that can meet the needs of students and practitioners without compromising on basic c- cepts and the latest developments. This book was written with the aim of ?lling this need, and is primarily addressed to students and practitioners of IE. As the title suggests, the core contents of the book have grown out of our research in IOA of waste management issues over the last decade. We have been fascinated by the versatile nature of IOA with regard to various technical issues of waste m- agement in particular, and to IE in general. For us (both economists by training), IOA has turned out to be extremely useful in establishing productive communi- tion with scientists and engineers interested in IE. |
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