The book focuses on heavy metals that have damaged the ecosystem Earth and its life forms. It characterizes natural and anthropogenic sources of pollutants, identifies physical, chemical and biological conditions that affect their ecosystem mobility. The book describes the pathways by which potentially toxic metals can access and concentrate to toxic levels in organisms. The text reviews the different environmental assessment, monitoring samples and analytical techniques used to determine how sample types bond the metals and hence affect their bioavailibility and bioaccumulation. Consideration is given to existing remediation methodologies and those being researched. Finally, the book emphasizes how pre-planning during project studies can result in the incorporation of technologies that will prevent or at least greatly alleviate the release of toxic metals to our living environment.

Principles of environmental geochemistry; Regional geochemical mapping and its application to environmental studies; Analytical methods in applied environmental geochemistry; Soils and plants and the geochemical environment; The chemical forms of trace metals in soils; Geochemistry and water quality; Microbial mediation of biogeochemical cycling of metals; Geochemistry applied to agriculture; Geochemistry and man: health and disease, essential elements, elements possibly essential, those toxic and others; Geomedicine in Scandinavia; Assessment of metal pollution in soils; Assessment of metal pollution in rivers and estuaries; Heavy metal contamination from base metal mining and smelting: implications for man and his environment; Health implications of coal development; Radioactivity in the environment.

It is not long ago that scientists realized, our study and understanding of most environmental problems call for a cross-sectional, more holistic view. In fact, environmental geochemistry became one of the legs to stand on for such a required interdisciplinary approach. Geochemists do not only describe the elemental composition and pro cesses of natural systems, such as soils, ground or surface waters, but they also establish the methodology to quantify material rates and turnover. Today, geochemical expertise has become indispensable when monitoring the fate of noxious chemicals, like-metallic pollu tants released to the environment. To know how trace metals will be have and react in complex systems under changing conditions, might provide us with a more realistic estimate of what is really acceptable in terms of quality standards. This would ease the formulation of ade quate environmental objectives, strategies and criteria to handle emerging pollution situations. Moreover, to take notice of geochemi cal principles will support our endeavor to improve the way we deal with limited and nonrenewable resources. It is exactly here, i. e. at the interface between natural elemental processes and the way we use them, that geochemical approaches meet the demand of technical at tempts to minimize the impact of environmentally relevant activities, like mining, waste handling, or manufacturing. The consideration to include geochemically derived concepts into the search for technical solutions is not really new, but has a long tradition during the evolution of modern societies.

One of the main outcomes of the eleven meetings of the Working Party was the recognition of the importance of interdisciplinary studies linking regional geochemistry with plant, animal and human health. The effects of major element deficiencies or excesses on plant health are well known; this is not the case for trace elements. In fact, rapid and reliable analytical methods for determining trace element abundances have only recently become available, and it is to be expected that important new information on trace element levels will be forthcoming. This, however, is only part of the problem because other factors such as element speciation, uptake and transmission may be more significant than total concentration. The pathways of elements from crops to animals are relatively well defined, but the aetiology of diseases attributable to elemental inadequacies or excesses is generally quite complex. Nevertheless, there is good evidence for diseases in livestock in the British Isles induced by deficiencies of Cu, Se and Co and Mo excess. On a world scale there is also convincing data on the effect of Na, P and I deficiencies and F excess on animal health. What is generally lacking, however, is adequate interaction between geochemists and biochemists, veterinary scientists and other concerned with animal health. Interpretation of geochemical data is complex as are connections between elemental abundances and the health of animals.

This third edition of the book has been completely re-written, providing a wider scope and enhanced coverage. It covers the general principles of the natural occurrence, pollution sources, chemical analysis, soil chemical behaviour and soil-plant-animal relationships of heavy metals and metalloids, followed by a detailed coverage of 21 individual elements, including: antimony, arsenic, barium, cadmium, chromium, cobalt, copper, gold, lead, manganese, mercury, molybdenum, nickel, selenium, silver, thallium, tin, tungsten, uranium, vanadium and zinc. The book is highly relevant for those involved in environmental science, soil science, geochemistry, agronomy, environmental health, and environmental engineering, including specialists responsible for the management and clean-up of contaminated land.

Environmental Geochemistry: Site Characterization, Data Analysis and Case Histories, Second Edition, reviews the role of geochemistry in the environment and details state-of-the-art applications of these principles in the field, specifically in pollution and remediation situations. Chapters cover both philosophy and procedures, as well as applications, in an array of issues in environmental geochemistry including health problems related to environment pollution, waste disposal and data base management. This updated edition also includes illustrations of specific case histories of site characterization and remediation of brownfield sites. - Covers numerous global case studies allowing readers to see principles in action - Explores the environmental impacts on soils, water and air in terms of both inorganic and organic geochemistry - Written by a well-respected author team, with over 100 years of experience combined - Includes updated content on: urban geochemical mapping, chemical speciation, characterizing a brownsfield site and the relationship between heavy metal distributions and cancer mortality

It is hard to imagine a more concise summary of the prodigious work and voluminous publications in this field... This volume should be available to students at the undergraduate level, to those in law school, and to all seriously concerned about an extremely important problem. This review in Choice was just one of the many favourable comments that greeted the appearance of the first edition of this book when it appeared in 1977. Since then, there has been an explosion of interest in almost every aspect of research in environmental pollution. The aim of this new edition, however, remains the same i.e. to evaluate the global biological consequences of dispersal of trace elements, originally mined from localized limited deposits, in the environment. In treating the problems of metal contamination of the environment, the author considers the problems of environmental pollution involving metals and the problem of exhaustion of finite reserves of ores of metals, such as cadmium, copper, lead, mercury, nickel and zinc, as aspects of a single global problem. A broad picture is presented of the overall process of dispersal of trace elements in the environment and the biological consequences of this process are documented with the aid of an intensive list of references. The book will be invaluable as a definitive reference source covering this field of interest for a wide range of people (environmentalists and conservationists, those concerned with management of resources and waste disposal, and agricultural chemists and soil scientists.)