Introducing a novel approach to setting environmental pollution standards that allow for proper treatment of uncertainty and variation, this book surveys the forms of standards and proposes a new kind of "statistically verifiable ideal standard." Setting Environmental Standards includes: a current analysis regarding the treatment of uncertainty and variation in environmental standard setting a review of basic principles in standard setting, including costs, actions and effects, and benefits examples where uncertainty and variation have been well-treated in current practice as well as examples where clear deficiencies are apparent specific proposals for the future approach to setting environmental pollution standards - encompassing the anticipated elements of uncertainty and variability The issues discussed serve statisticians as well as those persons involved with environmental standards. Scientists in agencies responsible for setting standards, in organizations advising such agencies or working in industries subject to these standards, will find Setting Environmental Standards an invaluable reference.

It is increasingly clear that good quantitative work in the environmental sciences must be genuinely interdisciplinary. This volume, the proceedings of the first combined TIES/SPRUCE conference held at the University of Sheffield in September 2000, well demonstrates the truth of this assertion, highlighting the successful use of both statistics and mathematics in important practical problems.
It brings together distinguished scientists and engineers to present the most up-to-date and practical methods for quantitative measurement and prediction and is organised around four themes:
- spatial and temporal models and methods;
- environmental sampling and standards;
- atmosphere and ocean;
- risk and uncertainty.
Quantitative Methods for Current Environmental Issues is an invaluable resource for statisticians, applied mathematicians and researchers working on environmental problems, and for those in government agencies and research institutes involved in the analysis of environmental issues.