Pollution and threats to the environment Books

Book SynopsisAn unparalleled how-to guide to citizen-sensing practices that monitor air pollution Modern environments are awash with pollutants churning through the air, from toxic gases and intensifying carbon to carcinogenic particles and novel viruses. The effects on our bodies and our planet are perilous. Citizens of Worlds is the first thorough study of the increasingly widespread use of digital technologies to monitor and respond to air pollution. It presents practice-based research on working with communities and making sensor toolkits to detect pollution while examining the political subjects, relations, and worlds these technologies generate. Drawing on data from the Citizen Sense research group, which worked with communities in the United States and the United Kingdom to develop digital-sensor toolkits, Jennifer Gabrys argues that citizen-oriented technologies promise positive change but then collide with entrenched and inequitable power structures. She asks: Who or what constitutes a “citizen” in citizen sensing? How do digital sensing technologies enable or constrain environmental citizenship? Spanning three project areas, this study describes collaborations to monitor air pollution from fracking infrastructure, to document emissions in urban environments, and to create air-quality gardens. As these projects show, how people respond to, care for, and struggle to transform environmental conditions informs the political subjects and collectives they become as they strive for more breathable worlds.Trade Review"The planet, the region, the community, the neighborhood, the block—these are all sensoria: sites of sense, sensation, and sensibility. Citizens of Worlds offers a powerful and instructive report on how to create everyday sensor infrastructures to register and combat the damage these social sensoria are suffering amidst today’s compromised atmospheres and environments. A critical handbook for theory and action."—Stefan Helmreich, Massachusetts Institute of Technology"In this timely and carefully crafted book, Jennifer Gabrys takes us on a fascinating journey to trace the multiple relations between citizens and their environments mediated though sensors. Throughout the book we encounter diverse sensing technologies, each making us reflect more deeply about how environments are made perceptible and how this allows us to act upon them in novel ways. The concept of ‘citizens of worlds’ sensitizes us to the multiple ways in which these novel experiences of the environment co-constitute political subjects. A mind-opening read inviting further explorations."—Ulrike Felt, University of Vienna

Read more less

Book SynopsisEverything we use started life in the earth, as a rock or a mineral vein, a layer of an ancient seabed, or the remains of a long-extinct volcano. Humanity’s ability to fashion nature to its own ends is by no means a new phenomenon. Silica-rich rocks have been flint-knapped by Stone Age people, transformed into stained glass in medieval times, and made into silicon chips for computers in the Digital Age. Our trick of turning rocks rich in malachite and chalcopyrite into copper has taken us from Bronze Age Minoan vases to the wiring that powers modern-day machinery. Today, we mine, quarry, pump, cut, blast and crush the Earth’s resources at an unprecedented rate. We shift many times more rock, soil and sediment each year than the world’s rivers and glaciers, wind and rain combined. Plastics alone now weigh twice as much as all the marine and terrestrial animals around the globe. We have become a dominant, even dangerous, force on the planet. In EXTRACTION TO EXTINCTION, David Howe traces our environmental impact through time to unearth how our obsession with endlessly producing and throwing away more and more stuff has pushed the planet to its limit. And he considers the question: what does the future look like for our depleted world?Trade Review“A lyrical and questing narrative of how humans have used and abused natural resources down the ages … long-brewed technical knowledge combined with an easy story-teller’s acumen, fluency and wisdom.” -- Michael Leeder, Professor Emeritus at UEA Norwich and author of the recent Measures for Measure: Geology and the Industrial Revolution (Dunedin)'A great book that does a fantastic job of weaving together geology, social science, and history into a really engaging read.' -- Geoscientist magazineTable of ContentsRocks and Resources; Concentrate; Bricks, Pots and Ceramics; Copper; Iron and Steel; Concrete; Glass; Aluminium; Plastics; Lithium, Rare Earths and the Information Age; Pollution and the Wounded Planet; Coal, Oil and Climate Change; The Anthropocene; References; Acknowledgements; Index

Read more less

a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe environmental crisis creates an unprecedented moral predicament: how to be a good person when our collective and individual actions contribute to immeasurable devastation and suffering. Drawing on an extraordinary range of sources from philosophy, political theory, global religion, ecology, and contemporary spirituality, Roger S. Gottlieb explores the ethical ambiguities, challenges, and opportunities we face. Engagingly written, intellectually rigorous, and forcefully argued, this volume investigates the moral value of nature; the possibility of an ''ecological'' democracy; how we treat animals; the demands and limits of individual responsibility and collective political change; contemporary ambiguities of rationality; and how to face environmental despair. In Morality and the Environmental Crisis, Gottlieb combines compassion for the difficulties of contemporary moral life with an unflinching ethical commitment to awareness and action.Trade Review'The wisdom of a lifetime of reflection on all the basic issues that intersect morality and the environment. This is the best - and most constructive - work I have read.' Larry Rasmussen, Union Theological Seminary'In this wise and beautiful book, Gottlieb explains how the environmental crisis constitutes a moral crisis. We have lost our way - in terms of knowing how to treat the world, be engaged citizens, and pursue meaningful lives. Gottlieb helps us navigate our confusion by inviting us to expand our understanding, compassion, and humanity. This is a generous, gem of a book.' Paul Wapner, American University, Washington, DC'Roger S. Gottlieb is one of the most significant public intellectuals of our time … [and brings] his philosophical, psychological, and spiritual wisdom to confront the way we think about the earth and each other. Gottlieb has produced a book that everyone who cares about the future of the life on Earth should be reading!' Michael Lerner, Editor of Tikkun'… inspiring, well researched and written … Gottlieb elaborates well-reasoned and impassioned appeals to stimulate moral choices that would concurrently overcome despair and generate hope. The envisioned outcome is achieving the greater common good on Earth. Very highly recommended.' John Hart, Boston University'In this insightful volume, Roger S. Gottlieb surveys the ecological crisis and our rabid exploitation of creation, not as potential threat but as immediate reality. With prophetic vision, he links that reality and its necessary remedy with a profound moral imperative, and a spirituality not as glib sentimentality but as hopeful necessity.' Bill J. Leonard, Wake Forest University, North Carolina'The environmental crisis is so wicked a problem that it has become hard, even impossible, to be morally good. Escalating our demands and vast powers, Homo sapiens, the wise species, has put the wonderland planet in deep jeopardy. Gottlieb probes these hopelessly entangled benefits and costs with frightening insight - daring radical revision of civilization.' Holmes Rolston, III, University Distinguished Professor and Professor of Philosophy, Emeritus, Colorado State University'Readers of Morality and the Environmental Crisis will benefit from exploring these questions in the company of an experienced guide with a fine and empathetic mind. Gottlieb is well versed in practical environmental issues, contemporary environmental philosophy, and Jewish and other faith traditions, including non-western ones.' Tikkun'A philosophical overview of the choices that will shape our grandchildren's' lives. … This book is a call to repair the natural world by repairing ourselves and our communities: through the re-integration of mind and body, self and other, human and nature, feeling and thinking - as well as the integration of the realm of philosophical analysis with the realm in which the farmer tills his fields. … This comprehensive work not only analyses philosophies of right action, but definitions of nature and human nature, and the epistemology that informs our choices.' Ethics and the Environment'Gottlieb has done a superb job in this book, drawing upon his long experience and wisdom to bring together multiple enlightening reflections, traditions and arguments while attending to the practical and emotional problems and strains of being an environmentalist in our beleaguered times. Recommended.' Piers H. G. Stephens, Environmental ValuesTable of ContentsIntroduction; 1. Environmental crisis and moral life; 2. Why does nature matter? Paths to an environmental ethic; 3. The spirit of ecological democracy; 4. Can we talk? Understanding the 'other side' in the animal rights debates; 5. Where do we draw the line? Limits and virtues; 6. Guilt and responsibility; 7. Changing the world: a moral primer on environmental political activism; 8. Dilemmas of reason; 9. Despair; 10. Futures.

Read more less

Book Synopsis'Dust is a book with an extraordinary global story to tell, but - and - also with an ethical argument to advance. Robert Macfarlane'Superb' Telegraph'Brilliant' Sunday Times'Eye-opening . . . impressive' Guardian 'Powerful' Nature 'Like a detective dusting for fingerprints, Jay Owens masterfully reveals the hidden traces of modernity by following some of its smallest fragments.' James Vincent, author of Beyond Measure__________Dust may seem inconsequential, so tiny and mundane as to slip below the threshold of thought. Yet within the next one hundred years, life on Earth will be profoundly changed by heat and drought - and that means dust. In this ground-breaking book, Jay Owens argues that dust is a legacy of twentieth-century progress and a toxic threat to life in the twenty-first.Dust: The Modern World in a Trillion Particles tells the gripping story of how the relentless drive for profit and power has turned the world to powder. Combining history and science, travel and nature writing, Owens shows how the modern world was made through environmental devastation - and then brushed the consequences under the carpet. From particle air pollution and nuclear fallout to desertification, dried-up seas and melting glaciers, we've profoundly altered the planet we live on. The cost to human health - and to the natural world - proves immense.From the California desert and the Dust Bowl in Oklahoma to the desiccated remains of the Aral Sea and the edge of the Greenland ice sheet, we are shown that some of the planet's most remote and forgotten places are central to the modern world. With clarity and insight, Dust: The Modern World in a Trillion Particles helps us understand our legacy and discovers the big ideas found within the smallest particles.__________Combining history and science, a sweeping look at the smallest substance and the biggest challenges facing people and the planet'From Mark Kurlansky's Salt and Laura Martin's Tea to Jared Diamond's Guns and Germs and Steel, can we now add geographer Jay Owens's Dust?' TelegraphTrade Review'Like a detective dusting for fingerprints, Jay Owens masterfully reveals the hidden traces of modernity by following some of its smallest fragments. Dust is a hugely original and engrossing history. It's a book that captures our current age - its diffusion, its wonder, and its terror - as well as tracing its future fall-out, both literal and symbolic. - James Vincent, author of Beyond Measure'Owens's pursuit of dust - defined very broadly as particles of a certain size, however generated - sends her tripping through many fascinating and rewarding realms . . . She's a superb travel writer, delivering with aplomb on her own idea of what geographers should be doing: Paying attention to tangible, material realities to ground our theoretical models in the world.' - Telegraph'A profoundly original examination of our damaged, eternally connected world. There are ideas here I will carry with me for my whole life, having breathed them in with these pages as surely as we breathe the book's titular substance in with every living moment.' - Ray Nayler, author of The Mountain in the Sea 'Brilliant . . . Owens is a serious writer: impassioned but intelligent, powerful but subtle ... [a] first-class writer and deep-thinking environmentalist. This book is original and exciting.' Sunday Times'Food for thought wrapped up nicely in a highly absorbing book.' Buzz Magazine'Some of the most powerful narratives in the book centre on dried lake beds . . . The author tells the story beautifully, weaving together the strands of environmental justice, water rights and public health . . . a broad and insightful picture of how tiny partices influence our environment, our health and our relationship with the world around us.' Nature'Owens's prose is often lyrical and her wide-ranging analysis highlights dust's overlooked historical significance . . . a competent and persuasive study of the big impact of small particles.' -- Publishers Weekly'A fascinating and expansive examination of the causes of dust and its effect on people . . . Owens' writing is moving and persuasive, revealing passion about the subject . . . Readers will be fascinated by what enormous insights Owens conveys by thoughtfully examining something as tiny as a dust particle.' -- Bookist'Who knew dust could be so exciting? Here it undergoes a thorough rebrand to elevate it from mildly annoying irritant to mind-blowing magic trick, global network and latest candidate for eventual downfall of our species.' -- Strong Words'Like a detective dusting for fingerprints, Jay Owens masterfully reveals the hidden traces of modernity by following some of its smallest fragments. Dust is a hugely original and engrossing history. It's a book that captures our current age - its diffusion, its wonder, and its terror - as well as tracing its future fall-out, both literal and symbolic.' James Vincent, author of Beyond Measure

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisMany organic pollutants, such as, organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), polychlorinated biphenyl (PCBs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are detected in the environment at low concentrations. Due to their large-scale production and usage, toxicity, bioaccumulation and persistence in the environment, they can cause harmful effects to organisms and to human health. Atmospheric deposition, industrial and urban activity presents the main sources of environmental pollution. Chapter One covers inorganic pollution by heavy metals, which is less visible and direct than other types of pollutants, but its effects on marine ecosystems and humans are intensive and very extensive. Chapter Two discusses the degradation resistance of Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), an artificially synthethised organic compound extensively used as plasticisers for industrial, medical, and domestic purposes, and that is found in wastewater treatment plants. Chapter Three discusses how the pollution risk of soil contamination by the lanthanides and platinum group metals is increasing with the industrialisation and urbanisation growth in Russia.

Read more less

Book SynopsisAir pollution from anthropogenic sources has been and continues to be considered a serious environmental problem affecting public health. Its seriousness lies in the fact that it raises the level of pollutants in places where their impact on human health is most likely. Therefore, air pollution is a major threat to public health worldwide. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) over two million premature deaths per year are attributable to the effects of outdoor and indoor air pollution. More than half of this burden of disease is borne by populations in developing countries. Epidemiological studies in several countries have shown that chronic exposure to traffic-related pollutants and chemicals and petrochemicals, such as particulate matter (PM), metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) associated with PM, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and inorganic gases (SO2, NOx, O3) produce adverse effects on development and affect lung function; along with an increase in respiratory diseases, often expressed in terms of diagnosed asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and cardiovascular effects and increased mortality. For all this, it is important to characterise and quantify air pollution and to recognize and assess the associated health effects, and different tools can be used individually or together. These tools are presented in this book, initially in introductory form (Chapters 1 to 3) and then in applied form in different case studies (Chapters 4 to 10) for the assessment of air pollution and associated risk.

Read more less

Book SynopsisPollution is undesirable state of the natural environment being contaminated with harmful substances as a consequence of human activities so that the environment becomes harmful or unfit for living things; especially applicable to the contamination of soil, water, or the atmosphere by the discharge of harmful substances. In addition to the harm, either present or future and known or unknown, to living beings, pollution cleanup and surveillance are enormous financial drains of the economies of the world. Air pollution research is the subject of this volume.

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisGround-level ozone is an air pollutant with harmful effects on the respiratory systems of animals. Ozone in the upper atmosphere filters potentially damaging ultraviolet light from reaching the Earth''s surface. It is present in low concentrations throughout the Earth''s atmosphere. It has many industrial and consumer applications.This new book presents the latest research in the field from around the globe.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis is an E-supplement to GAO-08-128, which was released on November 30, 2007. The Environmental Protection and Community Right-to-Know Act requires certain facilities to submit Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) reports to their respective states, which have a created range of TRI programs. In order to learn about states'' TRI activities, the authors conducted a survey of state TRI co-ordinators in the 50 states and the District of Columbia. This document presents selected results of their survey.

Read more less

Book SynopsisAviation contributes a modest but growing proportion of total U.S. emissions, and these emissions contribute to adverse health and environmental effects. Aircraft and airport operations, including those of service and passenger vehicles, emit ozone and other substances that contribute to local air pollution, as well as carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases that contribute to climate change. EPA estimates that aviation emissions account for less than 1 percent of local air pollution nation-wide and about 2.7 percent of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions, but these emissions are expected to grow as air traffic increases.

Read more less

Book SynopsisAntimicrobial agents, called fungicides, sporicides or biocides have long been used to control, prevent and remediate microbial growth. Currently public concern about the impact of pesticides, including fungicides, on human health is greater than ever before. Pesticides are essential in agricultural production, but they constitute a potential risk to humans who are exposed to them directly through various ways and indirectly through diet. In vitro techniques used to study in vitro metabolism and interactions are briefly described in this book, summarising the metabolic and kinetic properties of selected fungicides. Different analytical methods are reported in the literature for the analysis of fungicides. Developments in the methods devoted to fungicide analysis in environmental samples over the past 15 years are also looked at. In addition, biological contaminants, especially mould in buildings, which are known to act as sources of indoor air pollution, discomfort, asthma and pulmonary disease in building occupants and antimicrobial treatments of indoor mould and bacteria are reviewed. Finally, this book shows the current situation of the analysis of fungicide residues in environmental, biological and food samples, describing the analytical methods used for their determination.

Read more less

Book SynopsisIn the 21st century, the fate of the environment has become a critical issue in both developed and developing countries throughout the world. The environment is considered the surroundings in which an organism operates, including air, water, land, natural resources, flora, fauna, humans and their interrelation. Water pollution, poor air quality, global warming, acid rain, ozonosphere hole, etc., these issues are featured regularly in our newspapers, news reports and TV programs. Pollution has been used quite freely for many years without a clear definition, and it is generally accepted that environmental pollution can be defined as the contamination of air, water, or soil in such a manner as to cause real or potential harm to human health or well-being, or to damage or harm non-human nature without justification. The purpose of this book is to document the latest research in this field.

Read more less

Book SynopsisChina has been very successful in developing its economy in the past 30 years. However, the severe environmental deteriorations associated with the rapid economic growth have generated serious concerns. Strong efforts and significant achievements have been observed in the work of environmental protection in China. This book explores the present environmental quality and pollution emission trends in the past as well as current protection efforts in China today.

Read more less

Book SynopsisCleaner Production is an emerging field of research that comprises concepts and methodologies from different disciplines in a problem-oriented manner. Research efforts are often concentrated in a variety of sectoral domains, and for understanding the global change, which embraces a variety of processes on several scales, a variety of environmental and sustainability aspects can be addressed. This book includes contributions from researchers from various countries for the development of Cleaner Production. Divided into three sections, the book addresses national experiences for the implementation of CP programs, research related to the metrics used to assess the effects of CP initiatives in the production sector and discussions that emerge before and after the implementation of these programs.

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe Deepwater Horizon oil spill was one of the worst man-made environmental disasters our country has ever experienced. The oil spill dramatically affected the lives, jobs, and futures of millions of Gulf Coast residents. The Gulf of Mexico is a natural resource of vital importance which provides immeasurable benefits and services to citizens throughout the United States. The Gulf is also critical to nation-wide commerce. This book examines the Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Strategy and Long Term Recovery Plan with a focus on facilitating long-term vitality through restoring and conserving habitat, restoring water quality, replenishing and protecting living coastal and marine resources, and on making the Gulf of Mexico a healthier and more resilient place for the communities that depend on its wealth of resources.

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis book examines select types of considerations in the federal control of air emissions. Topics discussed in this compilation include controlling air emissions from outer continental shelf sources; the EPA''s Boiler MACT standards to control emissions of hazardous air pollutants; tall smokestacks and their contribution to interstate transport of air pollution; the revisions and associated issues relating to the National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Particulate Matter; and a summary of the Clean Air Act and its major requirements.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe impacts of an oil spill depend on the size of the spill, the rate of the spill, the type of oil spilled, and the location of the spill. Depending on timing and location, even a relatively minor spill can cause significant harm to individual organisms and entire populations. Oil spills can cause impacts over a range of time scales, from days to years, or even decades for certain spills. On 20 April 2010, an explosion occurred at the Deepwater Horizon drilling platform in the Gulf of Mexico, resulting in 11 fatalities. The incident led to approximately 206 million gallons of oil released, before it was contained on 15 July. The 2010 Gulf oil spill generated considerable interest in oil spill governance issues. This book provides background information regarding oil spills in the U.S. coastal waters and identifies the legal authorities governing oil spill prevention, response, and clean-up.

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe health risks posed by indoor pollutants have concerned scientists for many years. Because people spend a high percentage of their time indoors, and concentrations of pollutants often are higher in indoor air than outdoor air, the risks due to exposure can be higher than many other environmental risks. Many indoor environmental quality problems might get worse if adaptations to climate change are made without better information and programs aimed at pollution prevention. This book describes common indoor pollutants, discusses federal statutes that have been used to address indoor pollution, and analyses key issues surrounding some general policy options for federal policy makers, with a focus on chemical contaminants.

Read more less

Book SynopsisIndustrial pollution is the largest fountain of air offences in most of the developed world. Statistics from the U.S. Environmental Agency confirm that more than half of the nation''s total pollution is courtesy of industry. What''s more, six out of every ten people in the United States live in urban areas and are currently inhaling these bi-products. The consequence of air misuse is glaring: approximately four percent of all deaths in the United States are attributed to air pollution. This book highlights the sources and effects of air pollution, and also puts forth solutions. Successful pollution prevention is essential to our future well-being. Quintessential to this end, is prevention through education; the goal of this publication.

Read more less

Book SynopsisAccurate information about air pollutants in the troposphere, such as ozone, particulates, and their respective precursors, is essential to decision-making in domains as diverse as human health, environmental protection, climate change, and agriculture, as well as for assessments of air quality management strategies and policies. Atmospheric observations have only grown in importance as the risks posed by global climate change have come more clearly into focus, and observations will be critical in the years ahead both for tracking the impacts of mitigation strategies and predicting national needs in the realm of adaptation and preparedness. In this book the authors discuss air quality observation systems in the United States; ozone air quality standards; and the EPA''s 2013 changes to the particulate matter standard.

Read more less

Book SynopsisWorks related to identification of harmful exhaust components from aviation engines have continued since the second half of the last century. These works focus on high-thrust turbine engines. For this, group testing and standardization procedures have been developed containing the admissible limits of exhaust components. Since 2007 works have been underway related to the identification of harmful exhaust components from engines of low power output that have not yet been included in the emissions legislation. These actions are particularly related to the measurements of the exhaust emissions from piston aviation engines and they are focused on the fuel applied for these engines. This book presents the results of the author''s own research work related to the issues of exhaust emissions from powertrains of aircraft and helicopters fitted with piston or turbine engines not yet included in the emission legislation. Research has been presented for turbocharged piston and jet engines aircraft. Test procedures have been presented related to the measurement of the exhaust emission under actual conditions of operation. The study presents analyses of the operating conditions of aviation engines, for which data from the on-board recording devices (flight parameters) have been used. Tests have been developed related to the engines operating under actual operating (in-flight) conditions. The methodology of the developed test has been validated based on a test dedicated for an aircraft fitted with a jet engine. The test results have been subject to a comparison with the results of tests applicable in the homologation procedures. Eventually, the authors proposed exhaust emissions tests dedicated to individual aircraft groups.

Read more less

Book SynopsisEnvironmental noise is defined as the noise emitted from sources such as road, rail and air traffic, industries, construction and public works, and the neighborhood. Noise has been ranked high among forms of pollutions, which include air pollution, radioactive waste pollution, water pollutions, etc. In recent years, noise has received considerable worldwide attention as a result of the many studies linking noise pollution to various health effects that include auditory as well non-auditory health effects. It should be noted here that the effect of noise is seldom catastrophic, and is often only transitory. However, its adverse effects can be cumulative with prolonged or repeated exposure. Noise with daily activities and it causes sleep disruption, masking of speech, reduction in performance and the inability to enjoy one''s property or leisure time. It impairs the quality of life. In addition, several studies have linked extended exposure to high noise levels to cardiovascular diseases, including high blood pressure and irregular heartbeat. It has also been reported that high noise levels have an economic effects, especially tourism and real estate sectors, where it has been reported that the prices of houses tend to be higher in quite areas. There is also some evidence that noise can adversely affect general health and well-being in the same manner as chronic stress. Because of these factors, and the recent public awareness of the adverse effects of noise in the last few decades, many studies and noise monitoring programs have been established in various parts in the world. These studies and programs focus on measurements of perceived sound levels in communities, in the workplace (occupational noise), near airports and in public parks. A second area of research, which is getting more attention in recent years, focuses on assessing the effects of noise on individuals and communities, i.e. noise annoyance. This book discusses several topics that include driver style influence in the vehicle acoustic emissions in urban traffic; reaction to hybrid noise in communication; otoacoustic emissions by product distortion in metallurgical workers exposed to different doses of occupational noise; underwater noise pollution; and noise pollution in Zimbabwe.

Read more less

Book SynopsisDespite the fact that water covers two-thirds of the Earth''s surface, it is surprisingly vulnerable to human influence and activity. Marine ecosystems receive large amounts of a variety of pollutants from either treated or untreated wastewater. The extensive use of chemicals and their introduction into the environment has resulted in increased public concern for the potential threats to ecosystems, human health and safety. Persistent organic pollutants such as polychlorinated biphenyls, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, polybrominated diphenyl ethers and pesticides, as well as heavy metals, surfactants; endocrine disrupting chemicals or personal care products and pharmaceuticals are pollutants usually present in marine environments. This book focuses on discussing the types of marine pollutants. It provides topics on the environmental significance and management strategies available.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis book is a compilation of information on airborne microalgae and cyanobacteria. This includes a survey of the literature, biology and ecology of airborne algae, mechanisms involved in their aerosolisation, the role of environmental factors in shaping the structure and composition of aero-algal communities, and information on methodological approaches used to study airborne algae. It also discusses the importance of airborne algae, including their ecological significance, as well as the role they could play in estimating the diversity and biogeography of different microalgal groups. Studies have shown that airborne algae may act as allergens. Since many reported airborne algae are known to produce toxins, they could also therefore be responsible for certain toxicoses. The book is intended to rejuvenate the academia''s interest in the above aspects of this fascinating group of microbes.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis book includes six chapters. The first chapter introduces the characteristics and the classification of POPs; the second chapter explains the harm of POPs from the perspective of environmental science; the third chapter introduces in detail the distribution characteristics of POPs in China; the fourth chapter analyses the need for legal governance to prevent and control pollution of POPs in China from the perspective of legislation; the fifth chapter comprehensively reviews the relevant laws, regulations and rules on prevention and control of POPs in China, from the macro level and micro level; and the sixth chapter analyses the problems during the process of legal governance and offers some suggestions from four links, including legislation, enforcement, judicature and law-abiding. The authors hope this research can play a role in the legal governance of POP pollution in China and also hope readers will understand the state of legal governance of POPs in China. The authors ask that they give some valued comments for the environmental protection of China.

Read more less

Book SynopsisPollution status, environmental protection, and renewable energy production in Marine systems are the main targets of this book that represent the contents of the third volume of the Blue Biotechnology Journal, published by Nova Science publishers, New York, USA. The book is divided into 20 Chapters. The first chapter reviews the environmental protection from thermodynamic properties, the performance of refrigeration cycles and air-conditioning. The second chapter represents the pollution status along the Red Sea. During last ten years of twenty century till now, inorganic and organic pollutants has been detected in many sites of the Red Sea. The third chapter covers the adsorption of the anionic dye Direct Red 23 onto new activated carbons developed from Cynara cardunculus: kinetics, equilibrium and thermodynamics. The fourth chapter reports the Mercury as toxic metals levels in surface sediments along Alexandria west coast, Egypt. The fifth chapter investigates the effects of essential and non-essential metals on the human health. Chapter six covers a review of oceanography and topography of the Red Sea and Arabian Gulf. Chapter seventh reports the marine plankton and genus Ceratium in the west coast of the Red Sea. Chapter eight covers the energy efficiency improvement utilising high Technology: The path forward for renewable energy use in industry, buildings and sustainable development 183. The ninth chapter investigates the bioethanol production from shrimp shell waste Using Marine Alcaligenes feacalis MS7 and Candida albicans ATCC 14053. The tenth chapter covers the comparison of two packages for tidal analysis and prediction: an exemplar case study of Abu-Qir Bay, Alexandria, Egypt. Chapter eleven reports the physico-chemical studies of Suez Canal water from port said to Suez for its evaluation and protection. Chapter twelve covers the morphological structure of bays and sharms as a factor affecting in distribution of marine physics parameters, the Red Sea. Chapter thirteen investigates the suitability of Lake Mariut Drainage System (Qalaa and Umum Drains Waters) for Water Reuse. Chapter fourteen reports the water and nutrient budgets of Lake Burullus, Egypt. Chapter fifteen covers the geological model delineation of sub-marine system channels in west delta deep marine concession, Egypt. Chapter sixteen reports the synthesis and antimicrobial of 5-(4''-bromobenzyl)-1,3,4-thiadiazole-2-amine derivatives. Chapter seventeen recorded the isolation and characterisation of chitinolytic actinomycetes from estuarine origin in South India. Chapter eighteen reports the isolation of extremely halophilic bacterium Bacillus trueperi. RRJS1 optimised with physico-chemical factors and nutritional sources for protease activity. Chapter nineteen investigates the toxicological studies on the Red Sea Pufferfish Arothron hispidus (Linnaeus, 1758) and River Nile Pufferfish Tetraodon lineatus (Linnaeus, 1758). Chapter twenty reports the studies on the various allometric relationships in the intertidal horse mussel Modiolus auriculatus of the Red Sea, Egypt.

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis book provides new research on the management strategies, environmental impacts and health risks of air pollution. Chapter One analyses historical air pollution data via linear regression and the time-series technique. Chapter Two provides a spatial analysis of air pollution from road transport within urban areas and its relation to health risks. Chapter Three presents the findings on the effects of short- and long-term exposure to air pollution on death rates in Belgrade, Serbia, based on a 6-year regular pollutant monitoring and the corresponding administrative records on mortality. Chapter Four discusses how bioaerosols impact the environment, and provides methods for reducing health risks. Chapter Five reviews a case study on heavy metals air pollution of mines in the Bregalnica River Basin.

Read more less

Book Synopsis'Fast paced and energetic' Financial Times'Punchy, provocative and wonderfully readable' - David Shukman'Eye-popping and essential' - Rowan Hooper'A must-read' - Peter Stott Have you heard that you should plant trees to save the planet? Or buy carbon offsets when you fly? Or recycle plastic? Go vegan? Or not have children? What if all these actions were a distraction, no matter how well-intentioned?In this provocative manifesto, Assaad Razzouk shows that for too long our ideas about what's best for the environment have been unfocused and distracted, trying to go in too many directions and concentrating on individual behaviour. While some of these things can be useful, they are dwarfed by one big thing that simply has to happen very soon if we're to avoid major environmental breakdown: curtailing the activities of the fossil fuel industry.Full of counter-intuitive statistics and positive suggestions for individual and collective action, this ingenious book will change how you view the climate crisis.Trade ReviewFast paced and energetic, this is a very readable book with myriad interesting facts... ultimately it is successful in forcing us to focus more sharply on the bigger picture * Financial Times *A real breath of fresh air. Punchy, provocative and wonderfully readable. Assaad Razzouk not only shares his knowledge and experience, he also allows his impatience to shine through. The result is exactly the kind of no-nonsense clarity that's too often lacking in the climate agenda. * David Shukman, former BBC News Science Editor *If you're in any doubt about the duplicity, the obfuscation and the lies - just the sheer extent of the fight being waged by Big Oil to keep us hooked on fossil fuels - Assaad Razzouk's eye-popping and essential book will sort you out. * Rowan Hooper, Podcast Editor, New Scientist *Saving the Planet Without the Bullshit is a refreshing and provocative look at what needs to happen to overcome the climate crisis. A must-read for anyone concerned about avoiding the climate catastrophe. * Peter Stott, author of Hot Air *Beautifully written and very approachable. Saving the Planet Without the Bullshit covers many of the key issues facing the world with an easy comprehensibility and substantial research. * Chris Goodall, author of What We Need to Do Now: For a Zero Carbon Future *Table of Contents1: Plastic Is Your New Diet 2: Who Put Palm Oil in My Toothpaste? 3: The Fashion Show at the End of the World 4: Your Cat Doesn't Need to Eat Fish 5: Your Fresh Air Is Asphyxiating You 6: We Don't Have Time to Overthrow Capitalism 7: Hydrogen Makes Up 70 Per Cent of the Universe; I Didn't Know That Either 8: Nuclear Power Is So Over 9: Stinky Gas 10: Never Buy Carbon Offsets for Anything, Especially Your Car Gasoline 11: Please Don't Plant Trees 12: Have as Many Babies as You Like 13: Ride a Bicycle, Save the World 14: Fly Without Guilt 15: A Luxury Cruise Liner Is a Stinking Floating Dumpster 16: The Nasty Ninety 17: The Social Media Axis of Evil 18: Dial Down That Air Conditioning, But Not Too Much 19: Going Vegan to Go Green? Don't Bother 20: Drive Electric Shamelessly - the Green Energy Revolution Is Here 21: Green Bonds Do More Harm Than Good 22: Tinker, Lawyer, Banker, Fry 23: The ESG Con 24: Don't Worry (At All) About Bitcoin's Energy Use 25: Love Thy Insect 26: The Royal Baby Versus Biodiversity 27: Sue the Bastards 28: It's Raining Renewable Energy

Read more less

Book SynopsisOriginally published in 2005 under the title La Tierra Herida, this book grew out of a series of conversations that took place during the previous summer between Miguel Delibes and his son, Miguel Delibes de Castro. Acknowledged as one of Spain’s foremost novelists and essayists of the 20th century, Miguel Delibes won every literary award his country had to offer. In 1975 he was elected into the Spanish Royal Academy and used the occasion of his acceptance speech (later to be published under the title A World that is Dying) to make explicit his growing concerns about the future of the planet. Miguel Delibes de Castro, an internationally recognised research biologist, was for many years the Director of the Biological Station at the world-renowned Doñana National Park. He was an adviser to the Spanish delegation at the Rio de Janiero Conference on Biodiversity and was awarded the King James I prize for his efforts in protecting the environment. Father and son, novelist and scientist, each with a life-long commitment to the environment, discuss the environmental changes threatening our planet at the start of the 21st century, and whether or not we can find the means and summon up the will to reverse them. It is the father, speaking here as the anxious citizen, and pessimistic for our future, who asks the layman’s questions; it is his son who provides the scientific explanations, and offers whatever cause for optimism there is to be found. Miguel Delibes de Castro has provided a Postscript, written in November 2019, shortly before the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Madrid, which brings events up to date.

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisAfter a major disaster, when investigators are piecing together the story of what happened, a striking fact often emerges: before disaster struck, some people in the organization involved were aware of dangerous conditions that had the potential to escalate to a critical level. But for a variety of reasons, this crucial information did not reach decision-makers. So, the organization moved ever closer to catastrophe, effectively unaware of the possible threat—despite the fact that some of its employees could see it coming.What is the problem with communication about risk in an organization, and why does this problem exist? What stops people in organizations or project teams from freely reporting and discussing critical risks? This book seeks to answer these questions, starting from a deep analysis of 20 disasters where the concealment of risks played a major part.These case studies are drawn from around the world and span a range of industries: civil nuclear power, coal, oil and gas production, hydropower energy, metals and mining, space exploration, transport, finance, retail manufacturing and even the response of governments to wars, famines and epidemics.Together, case studies give an insight into why people hesitate to report risks—and even when they do, why their superiors often prefer to ignore the news. The book reviews existing research on the challenges of voice and silence in organizations.This helps to explain more generally why people dread passing on bad news to others—and why in the workplace they prefer to keep quiet about unpleasant facts or potential risks when they are talking to superiors and colleagues.The discussion section of the book includes important examples of concealment within the Chinese state hierarchy as well as by leading epidemiologists and governments in the West during the novel coronavirus outbreak in Wuhan in 2019-2020. The full picture of the very early stage of the COVID-19 pandemic remains unclear, and further research is obviously needed to better understand what motivated some municipal, provincial and national officials in China as well as Western counterparts to obfuscate facts in their internal communications about many issues associated with the outbreak.Table of ContentsPreface.- Setting the landscape.- Examples of risk information concealment practice.- Causes of risk information concealment.- Major on-going cases with information concealment practice.- Successful risk information management.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis book features the reduction and removal of selenium in wastewater via bioremediation. Arranged over five chapters, this book provides information regarding the interaction between micro-organisms and selenium, and it also explains the biogeochemistry of selenium in engineered ecosystems designed for wastewater treatment. The analytical approaches currently adopted by the scientific community are also described and discussed. Readers will find examples of the biological treatment of selenium contaminated wastewater, and discover a concise overview of selenium removal processes that are currently implemented at lab-scale as well as at industrial scale.Table of Contents

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisA series of four books blend fact and fiction to explore hope and resilience in the face of natural and man-made adversities. Through the perspectives of young protagonists Salim, Chika, Pari, and Indrani, the stories highlight the role of children in driving change and preventing future calamities.

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisToday, one out of every six children suffers from some form of neurodevelopmental abnormality. The causes are mostly unknown. Some environmental chemicals are known to cause brain damage and many more are suspected of it, but few have been tested for such effects. Philippe Grandjean provides an authoritative and engaging analysis of how environmental hazards can damage brain development and what we can do about it. The brain''s development is uniquely sensitive to toxic chemicals, and even small deficits may negatively impact our academic achievements, economic success, risk of delinquency, and quality of life. Chemicals such as mercury, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), arsenic, and certain pesticides pose an insidious threat to the development of the next generation''s brains. When chemicals in the environment affect the development of a child''s brain, he or she is at risk for mental retardation, cerebral palsy, autism, ADHD, and a range of learning disabilities and other deficits tTrade ReviewOnly One Chance shaves off layer after layer of ignorance, naivete, and corruption as it exposes the hidden dangers from industrial chemicals. Grandjean's book reads like a thriller and gives us a unique chance to decide that the next generation's brains must be protected against toxic brain drainers. * Devra Lee Davis, author of The Secret History of the War on Cancer and National Book Award finalist *This is an exceptionally interesting book. Grandjean presents and interprets extensive research on the impact of common chemicals present in the environment on human neurodevelopment using an original and holistic point of view and introducing the concept of 'chemical brain drain'. This is an innovative approach underlining the cumulated and long term impact on the brain of different chemical exposures. Grandjean argues that brain drain hampers the very capacity of human society to progress if its most precious resource, the brain, is not adequately protected. The accuracy of the review, the analysis of the interaction between brain development and society, the approaches to dealing with uncertainties and action, make this book fundamental reading for medical and public health professionals, students, and policy makers. I am convinced it will set a new standard for public health action and research for the coming years. * Roberto Bertollini, Chief Scientist and WHO Representative to the EU *This book is a huge gift to humankind from an eminent scientist. Grandjean tells the truth about how we have been ruining the brain power of each new generation and asks if there are still enough intelligent people in the world today to reverse the problem. I cannot rid myself of the idea that too many brains have been drained and society is beyond the point of no return. We must learn from the follies and scandals that Grandjean reveals and stop the chemical brain drain before it is too late. * Theo Colborn, President, TEDX (The Endocrine Disruption Exchange) *[Only One Chance] is factual, rationally developed, and nuanced, without pulling punches. It argues for a social conscience, adequate premarket research, communication, and regulation. Chemical damage to the developing brain is not destiny. Grandjean explains why and how society must intervene to prevent exposures now and in the years ahead. Highly recommended. * CHOICE *Table of ContentsIntroduction: Brain Matters: Only One Chance to Develop a Brain ; 1. Sensitive Development: Complexity Creates Vulnerability ; 2. Toxic Invasion: The Placenta Is Not a Protective Armor ; 3. Invisible Lead: Health Hazards from Demanding Scientific Proof ; 4. Poisoned Science: Mercury Damaged the Child's Brain but Did Not Harm the Mother ; 5. Substituted Milk: Poisoning During Infancy Causes Permanent Brain Damage ; 6. Persistent Problems: Chemicals Resistant to Break-Down Can Break Brain Cells ; 7. Unusual Suspects: Chemicals That Protect the Lawn May Damage the Brain ; 8. Mindless Costs: Losses Suffered by Victims and Society from Chemical Brain Drain ; 9. Inconvenient Truths: Vested Interests Can Endanger Brain Development ; 10. Brainy Choices: How to Secure Optimal Brain Development for the Next Generation ; Appendix: Chemicals Known to Be Brain Drainers ; Acknowledgments ; Endnotes ; Bibliography

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe fundamental principles of environmental toxicology are clearly presented here for university students and professionals in related fields. This book consists of two parts. In the first part basic metabolic, physiological, and pharmacological concepts are used to explain the fate of toxic chemicals in the body, with emphasis on carcinogenesis and mutagenesis. This part also contains a chapter on chemicals disrupting the endocrine system and a chapter on risk assessment and the precautionary principle. The second section deals with specific environmental problems - air pollution, alteration of the earth''s atmosphere, water and land pollution, including sections on wetlands, organic agriculture and genetically modified crops. It also deals with health and environmental effects of ionized radiation, and the effect of a rapid population growth on the environmental and human welfare. Chapter on pollution control and regulatory policies are also included.Table of ContentsPreface to the First Edition ; Preface to the Second Edition ; Preface to the Third Edition ; 1. Environment: Past and Present ; 2. Review of Pharmacologic Concepts ; 3. Metabolism of Xenobiotics ; 4. Factors That Influence Toxicity ; 5. Chemical Carcinogenesis and Mutagenesis ; 6. Endocrine Disrupters ; 7. Risk Assessment ; 8. Occupational Toxicology ; 9. Air Pollution ; 10. Pollution of the Atmosphere ; 11. Water and Land Pollution ; 12. Pollution Control ; 13. Radioactive Pollution ; 14. Population, Environment and Women's Issues ; 15. Regulatory Policies and International Treaties ; Appendix: Subject for Student Seminars ; Index

Read more less

Book SynopsisA multitude of direct and indirect human influences have significantly altered the environmental conditions, composition, and diversity of marine communities. However, understanding and predicting the combined impacts of single and multiple stressors is particularly challenging because observed ecological feedbacks are underpinned by a number of physiological and behavioural responses that reflect stressor type, severity, and timing. Furthermore, integration between the traditional domains of physiology and ecology tends to be fragmented and focused towards the effects of a specific stressor or set of circumstances. This novel volume summarises the latest research in the physiological and ecological responses of marine species to a comprehensive range of marine stressors, including chemical and noise pollution, ocean acidification, hypoxia, UV radiation, thermal and salinity stress before providing a perspective on future outcomes for some of the most pressing environmental issues facing society today. Stressors in the Marine Environment synthesises the combined expertise of a range of international researchers, providing a truly interdisciplinary and accessible summary of the field. It is essential reading for graduate students as well as professional researchers in environmental physiology, ecology, marine biology, conservation biology, and marine resource management. It will also be of particular relevance and use to the regulatory agencies and authorities tasked with managing the marine environment, including social scientists and environmental economists.Trade ReviewThis book is a good example of how to review multiple, complex topics and to make such material comprehensible ... The chapter narratives are written clearly. The tables and figures are organized well and illustrative. Although written for researchers and managers, with some additional reading, the contents of this book are accessible to a much broader audience. * S.R. Fegley, CHOICE *Table of Contents1. Effects of salinity as a stressor to aquatic invertebrates ; 2. Respiratory responses of marine animals to environmental hypoxia ; 3. Physiological effects of ocean acidification on animal calcifiers ; 4. Physiological responses of marine invertebrates to thermal stress ; 5. Physiological impacts of chemical pollutants in marine animals ; 6. Nitrogen stress in the marine environment: from scarcity to surfeit ; 7. The cellular responses of marine algae and invertebrates to ultraviolet radiation alone, and in combination with other common abiotic stressors ; 8. TBC ; 9. Effects of changing salinity on the ecology of the marine environment ; 10. The ecological consequences of marine hypoxia: from behavioural to ecosystem responses ; 11. Ecological effects of ocean acidification ; 12. Effects of temperature stress on ecological processes ; 13. Chemical pollutants in the marine environment: Causes, effects, and challenges ; 14. Importance of species interactions in moderating altered levels of reactive nitrogen ; 15. Ecological impacts of ultraviolet-B radiation on marine ecosystems ; 16. Ecological impacts of anthropogenic underwater noise ; 17. Managing complex systems to enhance sustainability ; 18. Using the Ecosystem Approach to manage multiple stressors in marine environments ; 19. Quantifying the economic consequences of multiple stressors on the marine environment

Read more less