Rising concern in recent years over the possible adverse environmental consequences of the use of chemicals has led to a steady increase in national activity towards greater regulation, in addition to voluntary agreements with manufacturers for risk management of certain products. This book begins by reviewing the current framework of legislation for the regulation of chemicals in the UK and then reports expert views on both the current situation and possible future developments. Subsequent chapters consider some of the scientific and technical issues, including the evaluation of the risks which chemicals can pose to human life and the environment, and the problems relating to evaluating the risks associated with metals in the environment. Finally, the predictive methods used to model the behaviour of organic chemicals within the environment are described.Highly topical, and with authoritative contributions from international experts, this book covers both the scientific underpinning and the legislative and practical issues of this emotive subject. The detailed coverage of a topic that affects many sectors of industry and society will make it popular with a wide audience of individuals from government organisations, industry or academic research - particularly those in environmental chemistry sectors.

The past 40 years have seen a phenomenal growth in globally oriented public and private initiatives related to chemical and environmental issues. The groundbreaking 1972 United Nations Conference on the Human Environment held in Stockholm was the event responsible for initiating framework for global environmental policies, including those addressin

Addressing the persistent environmental threat of organic chemicals with a fresh approach to degradation and transformation processes, Organic Chemicals in the Environment: Mechanisms of Degradation and Transformation, Second Edition examines a wide range of compounds as well as abiotic and microbiological reactions mediated by microorganisms. The book emphasizes the pathways used and the broad classes of enzymes involved. It provides an overview of experimental procedures with detailed coverage of the organic compounds that are considered to be xenobiotics. The book begins by providing a broad perspective on abiotic and biotic reactions, including the significance of a range of environmental determinants. The following chapters briefly introduce experimental procedures and emphasize those procedures for establishing the structure of metabolites using isotopes and physical methods. Next, the authors outline details of biochemical reactions involved in the biodegradation of the major groups of aliphatic, carbocyclic aromatic, and heterocyclic compounds. They end with coverage of bioremediation that has attracted increasing concern because of the hazard presented by the disposal of unwanted chemicals or by-products from their manufacture. Broad and comprehensive, this book provides a cohesive treatment of the subject. It contains an extensive set of literature references and numerous illustrative figures. The authors use a mechanistic approach with emphasis on the pathways, and the principles that emerge provide a guide not only for specific compounds but also for those having a more remote structural resemblance.

This volume consists of 15 chapters and focuses on hazardous chemicals, how they are associated with plastics, and their environmental risks. It includes background information on plastics and additives chemistry, and their observed or potential effects on living organisms as well as the oceanographic aspects of marine debris dispersion. The respective chapters provide insights into the sorption/desorption of chemicals in and out of plastics, the mechanisms and kinetics, but also the scale of the concentrations of chemicals found in marine debris, particularly in microplastics. The occurrence of the various chemicals is analyzed, as well as the distribution profiles of the chemicals in microplastics throughout the world’s oceans. The implications of the fact that plastics carry within them several chemicals are discussed in detail. In closing, new research topics that warrant further attention are identified. The book will appeal to all scientists who are already working or interested in starting to work on the topic of marine debris, as well as policymakers, NGOs and the broader informed public.

When a synthetic chemical is released into the environment it may be degraded by abiotic and biotic processes. These degradation processes usually involve a cascade of reactions resulting in the formation of a number of transformation products. While we usually know a great deal about the environmental properties, fate and effects of parent synthetic chemicals, our understanding of the impacts of transformation products is much less developed. As such, this volume brings together chapters from leading researchers in the field of transformation products in the environment and describes how these products are formed, how they move through the environment, and their environmental effects. The book also presents modelling and analytical approaches for understanding the occurrence, fate and effects of transformation products in the environment. It is of interest to scientists in academia, the chemicals industry and regulators, as well as graduate students in Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology.

Emphasis is placed on intuitively based mathematical models for chemical transport and transformations. Although developed for a one-semester graduate course, Chemical Fate and Transport in the Environment, Second Edition, is also an essential reference for environmental practitioners in industry, consulting, and government agencies."--BOOK JACKET.

A comprehensive account of the state of the science of environmental mass transportEdited by Louis J. Thibodeaux and Donald Mackay, renowned experts in this field, the Handbook of Chemical Mass Transport in the Environment covers those processes which are critically important for assessing chemical fate, exposure, and risk. In a comprehensive and a

There is need in environmental research for a book on fresh waters including rivers and lakes. Compared with other books on the topic, this book has a unique outline in that it follows pollution from sources to impact. Included in the text is the treatment of various tracers, ranging from pathogens to stable isotopes of elements and providing a comprehensive discussion which is lacking in many other books on pollution control of natural waters. Geophysical processes are discussed emphasizing mixing of water, interaction between water and the atmosphere, and sedimentation processes. Important geochemistry processes occurring in natural waters are described as are the processes specific to nutrients, organic pollutants, metals, and pathogens in subsequent chapters. Each of these chapters includes an introduction on the selected groups, followed by the physicochemical properties which are the most relevant to their behavior in natural waters, and the theories and models to describe their speciation, transport and transformation. The book also includes the most up to date information including a discussion on emerging pollutants such as brominated and phosphate flame retardants, perflurochemicals, and pharmaceutical and personal care products. Due to its importance an ecotoxicology chapter has been included featuring molecular biological methods, nanoparticles, and comparison of the basis of biotic ligand model with the Weibull dose-response model. Finally, the last chapter briefly summarizes the regulations on ambient water quality.

The two-volume reference work Chemical Technology and the Environment provides readers with knowledge on contemporary issues in environmental pollution, prevention and control, as well as regulatory, health and safety issues as related to chemical technology. It introduces and expands the knowledge on emerging "green" materials and processes and "greener" energy technology, as well as more general concepts and methodology including sustainable development and chemistry and green chemistry. Based on Wiley's renowned, Kirk-Othmer Encyclopedia of Chemical Technology, this compact reference features the same breadth and quality of coverage and clarity of presentation found in the original.

This multidisciplinary book presents a critical assessment of our knowledge of chemical threats to environmental security, with special reference to prevention of chemical releases, rapid detection, risk assessment and effective management of emergency situations and long-term consequences of chemical releases. The technologies evaluated concern mainly prevention and management of both intentional and accident releases of chemicals into the environment. The book features contributors from a range of relevant scientific fields.