Environmental engineering has a leading role in the elimination of ecological threats, and deals, in brief, with securing technically the conditions which create a safe environment for mankind to live in. Due to its interdisciplinary character it can deal with a wide range of technical and technological problems. Since environmental engineering uses the knowledge of the basic sciences - biology, chemistry, biochemistry and physics - it is able to neutralise pollution in all the elements of the environment, i.e. the hydrosphere, atmosphere and lithosphere. Moreover, environmental engineering deals with the design and maintenance of systems of water supply, sewage disposal, heating, ventilation and air-conditioning in buildings. Environmental Engineering IV contains 77 peer reviewed papers selected from 527 presented at the 4th Congress of Environmental Engineering (Lublin, Poland, 2-5 September 2012). The contributions are divided into 7 chapters: * Water supply * Water and wastewater treatment * Neutralization of solid wastes and sludge * Air protection and quality * Indoor microclimate * Energy * Biology and technology Environmental Engineering IV assesses the state of scientific research in various areas of environmental engineering, evaluates the organizational, technical and technological progress made in contributing to ecological security, and determines the place of environmental engineering in sustainable development, taking into account current political and economic conditions, and is a valuable source of information for the environmental engineering professional and academic community.

The first meeting in this series was organized by Prof. Pawlowski and Dr. Lacy in 1976 at the Marie Curie-Sklodowska University in Lublin, Poland. The conference dealt with various physicochemical methodologies for water and wastewater treatment research projects that were jointly sponsored by US EP A and Poland. The great interest expressed by the participants led the organizers to expand the scope of the second conference, which was also held in Poland in September 1979. The third and enlarged symposium was again successfully held in 1981 in Lublin, Poland. At that time the participating scientists and engineers expressed their desire to broaden the coverage as well as the title of the conference series. The International Committee, ap proved the title "Chemistry for the Protection of the Environment" and designated that date of the fourth conference, CPE IV, which was convened in September 1983 at the Paul Sabatier University in Toulouse, France, and was hosted and arranged by Prof. A. Verdier. This conference series included participants from various government agencies, academia, and the private sector, representing industrialized countries as well as emerging nations, both the East and West in an independent, non politica forum."

ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING IN THE mSTORICAL PERSPECTIVE Lucjan Pawlowski Information bombarding the nowdays Man may suggest that the world is on the way to an ecological catastrophe. I do not disregard the dangers we are facing now, but I would like to remind that since the beginning ofexistence Man has been facing numerous threats of an ecological character. First, they were caused by natural phenomena, such as huge forest fires, floods, earth quakes, and later on, caused by the development ofour civilisation, Man who was becoming more and more powerful in his abilities started creating new, anthropogenic threats. We may look pessimistically at the development of our civilisation, having in mind the catastrophes caused by Man's activity; we may also look at the examples showing the development of knowledge and the skills derived from it, which enable the elimination ofthreats and, at the same time making Man's life richer. It is not possible to make an in-depth analysis of the phenomena mentioned above in a short opening speech of the Congress. Nevertheless, I would like to share with you an optimistic reflection. I think that we can observe two trends in the development of our civilisation - good alternates with evil, environmental threats with the hope for their overcoming, and events swing to both sides like a pendulum in a clock.

Proceedings of the International Workshop, Thermal Solid Waste Utilization in Regular and Industrial Facilities, held in Kazimierz Dolny, Poland, November 28-30, 1999. In recent years, industrial and urban growth has resulted in growing volumes of nondegradable wastes, and this volume focuses on the technologies related to recycling and material reuse which are now being favoured over land disposal. There is an overview on waste utilisation in industrial facilities, particularly cement kilns, from an ecological as well as technological aspect, and some innovative solutions of pyrolitic and plasma reactors, used for hazardous wastes combustion.

Over the past two decades, this environmental conference series has emerged to be come one of the major international forums on the chemical aspects of environmental pro tection. The forum is called Chemistry for the Protection of the Environment (CPE). The sponsors of this CPE series have included the Chemical Societies of Poland, France, Bel gium, Italy, Egypt, and the U.S.A., the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, the American Society of Testing and Materials, the International Ozone Association, the United Nations Industrial Development Organization, the Ministries of the Environment of Poland, France, Belgium, and Italy, U.S. Agency for International Development, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, more than twenty universities and institutes of higher learning, and five national academies of sciences. The first meeting in this series was organized by Prof. Pawlowski and Dr. Lacy in 1976 at the Marie Curie-Sklodowska University in Lublin, Poland. The conference dealt with various physicochemical methodologies for water and wastewater treatment research projects that were jointly sponsored by U.S. EPA and Poland."

These proceedings provide a forum for chemical scientists and engineers dedicated to making a cleaner, healthier world for everyone. They cover a wide range of related subjects such as environmental monitoring, wastewater treatment, and sludge management.

Chemistry for the Protection of the Environment 4 focuses on:

a [ Environmental aspects of agricultural practices

a [ Field characterization and quantification of chemical constituents

a [ Fate of contaminants in the environment/environmental monitoring

a [ Thermal treatment technologies

a [ Remediation of contaminated sites

a [ Wastewater treatment and sludge management

a [ Environmental Security

a [ Risk Assessment and Environmental Management

This volume is the proceedings of the first CPE conference in the new millennium and the thirteenth in a well-established series of conferences on Chemistry for the Protection of the Environment, first established in 1976. With support of the U.S. EPA, the series of conferences provides an opportunity for interdisciplinary exchange of ideas among international specialists, from diverse fields and backgrounds, on the chemical aspects of environmental protection. Over the years, the CPE conferences have gathered participants from more and more countries, and the scope of interests have been broadened. Held in Hilo, Hawaii, this was the first of these international conferences to take place in the United States. The Organizing Committee attracted to the conference a wide range of talented scientists and engineers who have useful ideas to contribute on how to clean our environment.

Any pollution control or pollution cure action today must take into consideration not only one element of the environment, like water, air or soil but also proper environmental handling and related problems. In all cases, chemical processes play a highly significant role. In recent years there has been a shift from wastewatertechnologies and pollutant monitoring problems to environment management and solid wastes issues. This book provides a forum for chemical scientists and engineers who are dedicated to the worthy mission of making a cleaner, healthier world for everyone.

The central goals of Chemistry for the Protection of the Environment are to improve technology transfer and scientific dialogue, thereby leading to better comprehension of and solution to a broad spectrum of environmentally related problems.

ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING IN THE mSTORICAL PERSPECTIVE Lucjan Pawlowski Information bombarding the nowdays Man may suggest that the world is on the way to an ecological catastrophe. I do not disregard the dangers we are facing now, but I would like to remind that since the beginning ofexistence Man has been facing numerous threats of an ecological character. First, they were caused by natural phenomena, such as huge forest fires, floods, earth quakes, and later on, caused by the development ofour civilisation, Man who was becoming more and more powerful in his abilities started creating new, anthropogenic threats. We may look pessimistically at the development of our civilisation, having in mind the catastrophes caused by Man's activity; we may also look at the examples showing the development of knowledge and the skills derived from it, which enable the elimination ofthreats and, at the same time making Man's life richer. It is not possible to make an in-depth analysis of the phenomena mentioned above in a short opening speech of the Congress. Nevertheless, I would like to share with you an optimistic reflection. I think that we can observe two trends in the development of our civilisation - good alternates with evil, environmental threats with the hope for their overcoming, and events swing to both sides like a pendulum in a clock.

Proceedings of the International Workshop, Thermal Solid Waste Utilization in Regular and Industrial Facilities, held in Kazimierz Dolny, Poland, November 28-30, 1999. In recent years, industrial and urban growth has resulted in growing volumes of nondegradable wastes, and this volume focuses on the technologies related to recycling and material reuse which are now being favoured over land disposal. There is an overview on waste utilisation in industrial facilities, particularly cement kilns, from an ecological as well as technological aspect, and some innovative solutions of pyrolitic and plasma reactors, used for hazardous wastes combustion.

The first meeting in this series was organized by Prof. Pawlowski and Dr. Lacy in 1976 at the Marie Curie-Sklodowska University in Lublin, Poland. The conference dealt with various physicochemical methodologies for water and wastewater treatment research projects that were jointly sponsored by US EP A and Poland. The great interest expressed by the participants led the organizers to expand the scope of the second conference, which was also held in Poland in September 1979. The third and enlarged symposium was again successfully held in 1981 in Lublin, Poland. At that time the participating scientists and engineers expressed their desire to broaden the coverage as well as the title of the conference series. The International Committee, ap proved the title "Chemistry for the Protection of the Environment" and designated that date of the fourth conference, CPE IV, which was convened in September 1983 at the Paul Sabatier University in Toulouse, France, and was hosted and arranged by Prof. A. Verdier. This conference series included participants from various government agencies, academia, and the private sector, representing industrialized countries as well as emerging nations, both the East and West in an independent, non politica forum."

Due to changes in lifestyle, people spend more time indoors. This refers not only to the time spent at home and at office premises, but also in shopping malls, recreation centers and transport vehicles. Concentrations of many pollutants are higher indoors than they are outdoors. Consequently, the indoor environment has a bigger impact on human health, well being and effectiveness.

Indoor Environment Engineering is a relatively new scientific discipline with an interdisciplinary character, using knowledge from chemistry, biology, medicine and engineering. Since the early 1990s, the number of studies in this area has grown significantly from research on indoor air parameters, new emerging pollutants in indoor air, energy saving systems of heating, to studies on ventilation and air-conditioning in buildings. Even though much progress has been made since then, a number of questions still remains open:

• How can indoor air quality be measured? What are reliable, time- and cost-efficient methods?
• How can indoor air quality be improved, investing as little energy as possible?
• How to minimize secondary pollution caused by air supply systems?
• Which type of pollutants should research focus on?
• In what way are we exposed to new pollutants (plasticizers, ?ame retardants, pesticides)? What is their impact on our health?

Management of Indoor Air Quality is a collection of 14 peer reviewed papers in Indoor Environment Engineering addressing the above issues. It includes research on HVAC impact on aerosol levels, new ventilation systems as well as air quality problems in new environments. The volume is intended for scientists, engineers, post-graduate and graduate students interested in the area of indoor environment.

Environmental engineering protects the conditions of a safe environment, its role being crucial in eliminating ecological threats. It has an interdisciplinary character, utilising principles from biology, chemistry, biochemistry and physics to neutralize pollutants in all facets of the environment. Environmental engineering deals with a wide range of technical and technological problems, including the design and maintenance of water supply, sewage disposal, heating, ventilation and air-conditioning in buildings. This proceedings aims to assess the state of scientific research in various areas of environmental engineering; to evaluate organizational, technical and technological progress in contributing to ecological security; and to determine the place of environmental engineering in sustainable development, taking into account current political and economic conditions. Environmental Engineering is an invaluable source of information and ideas for the international environment engineering scientific community.

Environmental engineering has a leading role in the elimination of ecological threats, and can deal with a wide range of technical and technological problems due to its interdisciplinary character. It uses the knowledge of the basic sciences - biology, chemistry, biochemistry and physics - to neutralize pollution in all the elements of the environment, i.e. the hydrosphere, atmosphere and lithosphere. Mainly, environmental engineering deals with the design and maintenance of systems of water supply, sewage disposal, heating, ventilation and air-conditioning in buildings. In brief, it deals with securing technically, the conditions which create a safe environment for mankind to live in. The three main goals of Environmental Engineering III are to assess the state of scientific research in various areas of environmental engineering; to evaluate organizational, technical, and technological progress in contributing to ecological security; and to determine the place of environmental engineering in sustainable development, taking into account current political and economic conditions. The contributions are divided into eight sections: General problems Air pollution control Indoor air pollution control Neutralization of sewage sludge and wastewater Neutralization of solid wastes and sludges Remediation of polluted sites Water quality and supply Energy saving and recovery Environmental Engineering III contains 88 selected and peer reviewed papers from 327 contributions presented during the 3rd Congress of Environmental Engineering, and is a valuable sources of information for academics and engineers in environmental engineering.