Environmental Science and Technology Library – serie

This text presents the lectures which were given during the Comett II Course on Advanced Separation Technology for Industrial Waste Minimization: Environmental and Analytical Aspects. Due to the interest in new environmental solutions, the European Community organises educational and training activities of which the Comett Course is an example. The development of efficient membrane separation techniques has enlarged their field of application in all sectors of industry. Today these membrane technologies are the most advanced and innovative molecular separation units able to contribute to the rationalization of industrial production, minimizing environmental impacts by realizing pollution controlled cycles. Throughout the book, emphasis is given to the potentiality of membrane operations in wastewater management. Real case studies are described as well as practical solutions.The following topics are covered: existing membrane processes and new perspectives; industrial development of membrane modules; applications to the pulp and paper industry, textile industry, metal-finishing, tanneries, agro-food and food industries; biotechnological applications; purification of landfill leachates; and advances in analytical techniques. The book is for engineers, researchers, technical managers and graduate students.

The long-range transport of air pollutants and the reduction of air pollution to an acceptable level is an important environmental problem. The mathematical models by which this problem can be successfully studied are normally described by partial differential equations. The discretization in space leads to huge systems of ordinary differential equations containing up to several million equations that are to be handled during many time steps. This text shows why the numerical treatment of these problems always causes difficulties, even if high-speed computers are available. Several problems connected with the computer treatment of air pollution models are discussed. This book is an attempt to study these problems systematically. It should be useful for many specialists in air pollution modelling. Some topics are treated rather generally, therefore the book may also be used as a reference source by many scientists and engineers working with large mathematical tools.

This text examines the role of science, economics, law and ethics as generally applied to decision-making on sustainable development, particularly in respect to the recommendations contained in Agenda 21. Specifically, the book examines the role, capabilities and certain strengths and weaknesses of these disciplines and their ethical implications in the context of sustainable development problems. Such an analysis is necessary to determine whether sustainable development problems create important new challenges and problems for government so that, where appropriate, new tools or approaches may be designed to overcome limitations or take advantage of the strengths of current scientific, economic and legal capabilities. This book is intended for environmental professionals, whether academic, governmental or industrial, or those in the private consultancy sector. It is also suitable as an upper-level text or reference.

Over recent years there has been an increasing awareness of the risks of locating hazardous industries near heavily populated, environmentally sensitive areas. This new awareness demands a novel approach to safety planning for hazardous industries; one that looks at the problem from the point of view of integrated regional risk assessment which, besides the risks arising from natural events, should also include the risks arising from the processing plants, storage and the transportation of dangerous goods. Volume I highlights the main procedures for the assessment of risks to health and environmental impacts from continuous emissions of pollutants into air, water and soil under normal operating conditions. Volume II deals with the assessment of consequences of accidental releases, helping to answer such questions as: What can go wrong? What are the effects and consequences? How often will it happen? The main procedural steps are supported by relevant, internationally recognized methods of risk assessment. The book also reviews criteria and guidelines for the implementation of risk assessment and management at different stages.

Over recent years there has been an increasing awareness of the risks of locating hazardous industries near heavily populated, environmentally sensitive areas. This new awareness demands a novel approach to safety planning for hazardous industries; one that looks at the problem from the point of view of integrated regional risk assessment which, besides the risks arising from natural events, should also include the risks arising from the processing plants, storage and the transportation of dangerous goods. Volume I highlights the main procedures for the assessment of risks to health and environmental impacts from continuous emissions of pollutants into air, water and soil under normal operating conditions. Volume II deals with the assessment of consequences of accidental releases, helping to answer such questions as: What can go wrong? What are the effects and consequences? How often will it happen? The main procedural steps are supported by relevant, internationally recognized methods of risk assessment. The book also reviews criteria and guidelines for the implementation of risk assessment and management at different stages.

Over recent years there has been an increasing awareness of the risks of locating hazardous industries near heavily populated, environmentally sensitive areas. This new awareness demands a novel approach to safety planning for hazardous industries; one that looks at the problem from the point of view of integrated regional risk assessment which, besides the risks arising from natural events, should also include the risks arising from the processing plants, storage and the transportation of dangerous goods. Volume I highlights the main procedures for the assessment of risks to health and environmental impacts from continuous emissions of pollutants into air, water and soil under normal operating conditions. Volume II deals with the assessment of consequences of accidental releases, helping to answer such questions as: What can go wrong? What are the effects and consequences? How often will it happen? The main procedural steps are supported by relevant, internationally recognised methods of risk assessment. The book also reviews criteria and guidelines for the implementation of risk assessment and management at different stages.Audience: Students, engineers, and scientists in charge of developing new methodologies for hazard analysis and risk assessment; practitioners of environmental protection; local and governmental authorities charged with implementing environmental risk impact procedures and guidelines.

Concepts of ecological integrity have recently been proposed to facilitate enhanced protection of biological and ecological resources against the threat of human activities. The promotion of ecological integrity as a basis for public policy and decision-making stems from scientists and others concerned about the threats of human activities to ecosystems and species, and from philosophers attempting to derive a more suitable ethic to guide the relationships between humans and the non-human environment. Although ecological integrity has been proposed as a norm for public policy and decision making, the concept is relatively new and therefore the underlying scientific and philosophical rationales have not been fully developed.

This volume addresses the acute challenges of sustainable forestry with emphasis on the developing countries. Sustainability is analyzed from its diametrically opposite deforestation point of view. A multilevel approach is adopted to take into account that the causes of deforestation occur at the local, national and international levels. Accordingly, the volume contains contributions at global, continental, national, and subnational levels. The contributions are also of a multidisciplinary character and represent issues such as forest economics and policy, forest mensurations and inventory, tropical silviculture, land use economics, environmental economics and history, as well as geography and political history. One of the aims of this volume is to present a collective analysis of deforestation and sustainability using the most up-to-date, reliable and valid empirical data. The authors have been among the first scientists in the world to have had access to the new FORIS database recently established by the FAO.

This guidebook assesses options that address the risks posed by climatic change induced by human activity. Drawing on the expertise of over 25 specialists, the book provides guidance for the analysis of options to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions in energy, forestry, agriculture and waste management. It describes the key steps involved in conducting an assessment in different sectors, and also discusses selected models that may be applied to support an analysis. The book is primarily intended for analysts conducting studies at a national level in developing countries and countries with economies in transition. It provides a compendium of information for analysts in other countries and is intended for scientists and policy makers involved in the field of global climate change who wish to better understand how a mitigation assessment may be conducted.

To assist developing countries and countries with economies in transition to meet this obligation, the U.S. Country Studies Program is providing technical and financial support for the development of climate change studies in 55 countries. This document presents preliminary results from the vulnerability and adaptation assessment research of 13 of the countries that were ready to share their results. The countries contributing to this document are from the African, Asian-Pacific, Eastern European, and Latin American regions, and their assessments address impacts in the agriculture, grasslands, forest, water resources, and coastal resources sectors. This document includes results from many countries for which there was no prior research on the potential impacts of climate change, or for which the research has not previously been widely available. This work should aid understanding of the potential impacts of climate change and the effectiveness of adaptation strategies, and it should also help develop a consensus on appropriate methodologies and needs for refinement to currently available methodologies.

International concern for the continued growth of greenhouse gas emissions, and the potentially damaging consequences of resultant global climate change, led to the signing of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change by 155 nations at the Earth Summit in June 1992. The Convention came into force on 21 March 1994, three months after receiving its 50th ratification. All Parties to the Convention are required to compile, periodically update, and publish national inventories of anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions and sinks using comparable methodologies. In support of this process, the US Country Studies Program (US CSP) is providing financial and technical assistance to 56 developing and transition countries for conducting national inventories. This book presents the results of preliminary national inventories prepared by countries participating in the US CSP that are ready to share their interim findings. In some cases, inventories were prepared with support from other organizations. Preliminary inventories of twenty countries in Africa, Asia, Central and Eastern Europe and the Newly Independent States, and Latin America are presented, as well as regional and global syntheses of the national results. The regional and global syntheses also discuss results of eleven other preliminary national inventories that have been published elsewhere with the assistance of other programs. Results are discussed in the context of national and regional socioeconomic characteristics, and the regional and global syntheses compare national inventory estimates to other published estimates that are based largely on international databases. Papers also discuss inventory development issues, such as data collection and emission factor determination, and problems associated with applying the IPCC inventory methodologies. The preliminary inventory results reported here represent significant progress towards meeting country commitmentsunder the Framework Convention, and provide useful information for refining international greenhouse gas emission databases and improving inventory methodologies. As the first book to compile national greenhouse gas emission estimates prepared by national experts in developing countries and countries with economies in transition, this will be an invaluable resource to scientists, policymakers, and development specialists in national, regional and global anthropogenic sources and sinks of greenhouse gases.

The atmosphere is an important pathway for the transport of continentally-derived material to the oceans. In this respect the Mediterranean Sea is of special importance because its atmosphere receives inputs of anthropogenic aerosols from the north and desert- derived Saharan dusts from the south. The dusts, much of which is transported in the form of seasonal "pulses", have important effects on climate, marine chemistry and sedimentation in the Mediterranean Sea. This volume brings together reviews and specific-topic papers on the following aspects of Saharan dust transport to the Mediterranean Sea: the modelling of Saharan dust transport; the chemistry and mineralogy of the dusts and their effect on precipitation; the contribution of the dusts to marine sedimentation; the aerobiology of the dusts; and climatic implications of Saharan dust transport. The volume is aimed at students and researchers with an interest in the climate, biogeochemistry and geology of the Mediterranean Sea.

This work deals quantitatively with the generation, dispersion, and deposition of pesticide droplets on vegetation and with off-target drift of undeposited droplets. A computer simulation model for calculating dispersion, deposition, and drift is described, with comparisons between calculated results and field measurement results. The model includes the effects of aircraft vortex, atmospheric turbulence, droplet evaporation, and droplet deposition on foliage. Model output includes values of droplet deposit density and size on foliage and ground as well as droplet concentration and size in the drift cloud. In addition, a detailed description of droplet atomizer characterization methods is presented along with a large number of atomizer spectrum results for atomizers in current use. An analysis of a number of forestry spraying innovations is presented. This text should be a useful tool in assessing the efficacy and environmental impact of proposed and actual forest spray operations.

Various concepts of ecological sustainability and integrity have been proposed as a means of enhancing the protection of humans and the environment against the threat of human activities. In this book, scholars in the fields of ecology, public policy, philosophy, and economics are brought together in order to explore more fully the concepts of sustainability and ecological integrity as well as the connections between them. First, the concept of sustainability in relation to science, law, and ethics is explored. Second, concepts of sustainability and ecological integrity are applied to problems in specific natural resources. Finally, authors examine possible approaches to public policy which might include concepts of sustainability and ecological integrity. The book should be of interest to environmental professionals, whether academic, governmental or industrial, or in the private consulting sector, and should be suitable as an upper level undergraduate or graduate text or reference.

This work consists of papers and final recommendations on Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA), presented at the 4th European EIA Workshop which was held from 29 May to 1 June 1997 in Potsdam, Germany. The main objectives of this workshop were to specify current SEA-related methodologies and procedures, and to identify major deficiencies; to identify constraints on SEA implementation in the Member States; and to identify SEA research and training needs and methods. The book contains contributions on recent SEA research developments and covers a wide range of topics, including a contribution from the European Commission on SEA developments in the EU, with a proposal for a council directive on the assessment of the effects of certain plans and programmes on the environment. Other papers, particularly from the Federal Environmental Ministries of the EU Member States, deal with SEA legislation and procedures in the European Community, an Austrian SEA study, EIA/SEA for structural funds and the development of environmental quality objectives, the Erlangen case study on SEA in land use planning, and SEA research strategy in Europe.The discussion is not limited to SEA for plans and programmes but also includes environmental assessment for policies, for instance the Danish experience with SEA in policy-making, environmental assessment of policies in The Netherlands, and inclusion of environmental considerations into Ministerial Recommendations for Cabinet's decisions by the Federal Government in Canada. The book shows that SEA is already part of some sectoral planning procedures within the Member States, mostly for land use planning. It is acknowledged to be a valuable instrument for including environmental considerations early in the planning process. There may be methodological, procedural or political constraints on implementation of SEA at all planning levels, but they can be overcome by practice and research.

This book describes the state of the art at the interface between energy and environmental research. The contributing authors are some of the world leaders in research and education on energy and environmental topics. It begins with the latest trends in applied thermodynamics, the methods of energy analysis, entropy generation minimization and thermoeconomics. It continues with the most modern developments in energy processing and conservation techniques, heat transfer augmentation devices, inverse thermal design, combustion and heat exchangers for environmental systems. The environmental impact of energy systems is documented in a diversity of applications such as the flow of hazardous waste through cracks and porous media, thermally induced flows through coastal waters near power plants, and lake ecology in the vicinity of pumped storage systems. The text outlines research directions such as the manufacturing of novel materials from solid waste, advances in radiative transport, the measurement of convective heat transfer in gas turbines and environmentally acceptable refrigerants.The book provides engineering design data that make a concrete statement on topics of world wide interest such as toxic emissions, the depletion of energy resources, global environmental change (global warming), and future trends in the power generation industries.

These proceedings examine the health effects of waste deposit sites, incinerators and other options for waste management, focusing in particular on the impacts of halogenated hydrocarbons, and byproducts of incineration. These results are linked with waste policy options, of which reviews in four EU countries and the United States are provided. Scientific arguments which can be used in an environmental health-based waste policy in the future are advocated. This volume contains the proceedings of a workshop which was organized at the "Hippocrates Foundation" in Kos, Greece, on November 12-14, 1998, as an integral part of the ASPIS project, which aims at raising awareness of environmental health impacts and educating decision-makers. As such, this work addresses a wide, multidisciplinary readership, including environmental decision-makers, medical doctors, environmental experts, postgraduate students, lawyers, engineers and journalists.

Despite the fact that the human life of the past cannot be understood without taking into account its ecological relationships, environmental studies are often marginalized in archaeology. This is a book that, by discussing the meaning and purpose we give to the expression "environmental archaeology", investigates the reasons for such a problem. This is achieved through the use of theoretical considerations and the aid of a number of case studies, which, by taking us from Anglo-Saxon England to pre-Columbian Venezuela, and from Classical Greece to late Antique Egypt, emphasise the potential of an integrated approach. The book is written by archaeologists with different backgrounds and is addressed to all researchers who care about the past relationship between people and the rest of Nature. Despite the complexity of some of the issues tackled, the book is written in an accessible manner and should be of interest to all students who want to understand the essence of archaeology beyond the boundary of the individual sub-disciplines.

During recent decades, millions of tonnes of man-made chemicals have been produced and released into the environment, with very little safety testing. Many of these chemical substances have been found to interfere with the endocrine system and modulate its function. This book not only overviews the effects of endocrine/disrupting substances on human health, but also addresses the regulatory problems from the point of view of international organizations, including the WHO, the EU, and the European Chlorine Industry. This volume contains the proceedings of a workshop held at the International Hippocrates Foundation on Kos Island, Greece, in September 1999. The workshop was part of the activities of the ASPIS project, which aims at raising awareness of environmental health impacts among multidisciplinary groups. The contributions to this volume are the result of the interaction of participants at the workshop.As such, it addresses the issue of endocrine disrupters from many different points of view and allows the subject to be approached by a multidisciplinary readership, including: decision makers, medical doctors, environmental experts, post/and undergraduate students, lawyers, engineers, and journalists.

This book is an introduction to radioactivity and aerosols for the scientifically literate reader with little or no previous exposure to either of these subjects. It provides a step-by-step introduction to radioactive aerosols from the physical science perspective, with coverage of such topics as indoor radon decay products, radioactive aerosols as tracers of atmospheric processes, indoor and outdoor models of aerosol transport, fallout from nuclear weapons and reactor accidents, and measurement of radioactivity and aerosols. Audience: Although it includes references to the research literature, it is not designed as a research monograph for specialists. Rather, it is directed at an interdisciplinary audience at the advanced undergraduate science level and higher who want an introductory, but rigorous, presentation of the core material of this subject. It is suitable for self study or for use as a main or supplemental textbook. It should be useful to a range of students in aerosol science, health physics, environmental science, nuclear engineering, and the atmospheric sciences.It should also be valuable to `crossover' professionals -- professionals in other areas of science and engineering -- who want a readable, self-contained introduction to radioactive aerosols. Many worked examples, and more than a hundred exercises and problems with answers, are provided.

This book is intended as an introduction to radioactivity and aerosols for the scientifically literate reader who has had no previous exposure to either of these subjects. Although its main focus is radioactive aerosols, on the road to this subject I provide short, somewhat independent introductions to both radioactivity and aerosols, with some emphasis on experimental aspects. The audience I have in mind is upper-level undergraduates or beginning graduate students with a minimum background of introductory college courses in physics, chemistry, and calculus. This book may also be useful to "crossover" professional- professionals in other fields of science and engineering, for example biology or geoscience, who would like a step-by-step introduction to this subject matter from the physical science perspective. In writing this book I have been sensitive to requests and suggestions from students who need some background in this subject matter but will probably not specialize in it. These students are bright, but busy, and they sometimes feel overwhelmed by the mass of information in advanced, comprehensive texts. No matter how noble the intentions of the authors (or the teachers assigning the books!), these students often do not have time to read such books through cover to cover, and they fmd it difficult to pick out a coherently-connected subset of the material. Furthermore, modern students studying an interdisciplinary subject like radioactive aerosols are likely to be more diversified than ever, in educational background, in interests, and in preparation.

During recent decades the somatic mutation theory for the causation of cancer has held sway. The influence of environmental factors in the aetiology of cancer has become a matter of debate between those who maintain that it is largely a degenerative phenomenon and other voices who increasingly support the hypothesis that environmental factors predominate. An examination of some aspects of this debate is the prime purpose of this book. The increasing incidence of cancer across many parts of the world, particularly in children, has happened over a very short period of time in evolutionary terms. One can infer that it is connected to changes in the environment and/or our lifestyles. A major counter-argument to this contention is that rising cancer incidence is mainly because the average life expectancy has increased. These pages contain a number of chapters from specialists in the field who consider, from a number of different perspectives, the currently available evidence that supports the environmental cancer aetiology hypothesis. This constitutes the first part of the book. In the second part of the book, an examination of the policy implications of accepting that the cancer epidem

During recent decades the somatic mutation theory for the causation of cancer has held sway. The influence of environmental factors in the aetiology of cancer has become a matter of debate between those who maintain that it is largely a degenerative phenomenon and other voices who increasingly support the hypothesis that environmental factors predominate. An examination of some aspects of this debate is the prime purpose of this book. The increasing incidence of cancer across many parts of the world, particularly in children, has happened over a very short period of time in evolutionary terms. One can infer that it is connected to changes in the environment and/or our lifestyles. A major counter-argument to this contention is that rising cancer incidence is mainly because the average life expectancy has increased. These pages contain a number of chapters from specialists in the field who consider, from a number of different perspectives, the currently available evidence that supports the environmental cancer aetiology hypothesis. This constitutes the first part of the book. In the second part of the book, an examination of the policy implications of accepting that the cancer epidem

The day I became the Flemish Minister for Mobility in 1999, my region of Flanders was one of the poorest students of the “EU class” for traffic safety. This was in spite of a variety of measures taken by previous governments, to improve traffic and safety because of unsafe driving behaviour and to reduce the emissions of traff- related pollutants. In this context, I focussed on one specific aspect of traffic safety: the number of traffic deaths and injuries on the roads. My intention was to raise a broad societal debate on mobility. It seemed to me that the most complex issue was to convince those people who are most intimately related to their cars, to leave their vehicles at home. After decades with slogans such as “My car, my freedom” it is politically impossible to withdraw this “freedom” on the basis of ecological arguments. I often noticed that although the majority of the population wants a cleaner environment, the same majority is convinced that ‘pollution is caused by others’. Moreover, the most important environmental problems tend to appear only in the long term. In contrast, the numerous, mainly young, victims on the road, among them the dead and the seriously injured youngsters from ‘weekend’ accidents are immediately visible. In 2001, Flanders totalled 848 road-accident deaths, 7725 seriously injured persons and 39070 minor injuries, from a total population of 6 million people. These are only the recorded figures.

The scope of environmental impact on reproduction is very large. It aims at covering all aspects of reproductive problems and their links to the environment. Therefore, it deals with female and male reproductive impairments, whatever their severity and their sites, gonad or extra-gonad. For women, effects include direct lesions of the oocyte, with possibilities of chromosomal abnormalities but also malformations of the reproductive tract. Reduced fertility and in some cases total infertility may also result from menstrual irregularities, which can at times include anovulatory cycles. Hormonal changes, even in the absence of menstrual irregularities may also lead to decreased fertility. In addition to congenital malformations, other impairments of the reproductive apparatus may occur, as in the polycystic ovarian syndrome or in endometriosis. Finally one can also include effects during pregnancy leading to spontaneous abortion, preterm delivery still birth or altered sex ratio. Impacts on age at menarche and age at menopause lead to a change in the duration of reproductive life.

In recent years, increasing attention and resources have been brought to bear on the relationship between the environment and congenital diseases. These diseases were previously thought to be mostly due to genetic causes. Even though the importance of genes as factors in causation is accepted, environmental factors seem to be implicated just as strongly. This book explores some further concepts that have arisen from more recent perceptions of environmental effects and their possible interactions with living systems. Amongst the topics discussed are:-effects of prenatal exposure to toxic chemicals-intra-uterine exposure to drugs-effects of endocrine disrupters-environmental risk and sex ratio in newborns-surveillance of environmental impact-research and policy.Discussion and presentation of old and novel ideas is targeted at developing a more holistic and united perception of the interaction between congenital diseases and the environment.

Of all the books written about the problems of sustainable development and environmental protection, Sustainable Development: Science, Ethics, and Public Policy is one of the first to examine the role of science, economics and law, and ethics as generally applied to decision making on sustainable development, particularly in respect to the recommendations contained in Agenda 21. Specifically, the book examines the role, capabilities, and certain strengths and weaknesses of these disciplines and their ethical implications in the context of sustainable development problems. Such an analysis is necessary to determine whether sustainable development problems create important new challenges and problems for government so that, where appropriate, new tools or approaches may be designed to overcome limitations or take advantage of the strengths of current scientific, economic and legal capabilities. Audience: Environmental professionals, whether academic, governmental or industrial, or in the private consultancy sector. Also suitable as an upper level text or reference.

Over recent years there has been an increasing awareness of the risks of locating hazardous industries near heavily populated, environmentally sensitive areas. This new awareness demands a novel approach to safety planning for hazardous industries; one that looks at the problem from the point of view of integrated regional risk assessment which, besides the risks arising from natural events, should also include the risks arising from the processing plants, storage and the transportation of dangerous goods. Volume I of Integrated Regional Risk Assessment highlights the main procedures for the assessment of risks to health and environmental impacts from continuous emissions of pollutants into air, water and soil under normal operating conditions. Volume II deals with the assessment of consequences of accidental releases, helping to answer such questions as: What can go wrong? What are the effects and consequences? How often will it happen? GBP/LISTGBP The main procedural steps are supported by relevant, internationally recognised methods of risk assessment.The book also reviews criteria and guidelines for the implementation of risk assessment and management at different stages. Audience: Students, engineers, and scientists in charge of developing new methodologies for hazard analysis and risk assessment; practitioners of environmental protection; local and governmental authorities charged with implementing environmental risk impact procedures and guidelines.

This is a comprehensive, detailed guidebook for assessing options that address the risks posed by climatic change induced by human activity. Drawing on the expertise of over 25 specialists, the book provides guidance for the analysis of options to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions in energy, forestry, agriculture, and waste management. It describes the key steps involved in conducting an assessment in different sectors, and also discusses selected models that may be applied to support an analysis. Audience: The book is primarily intended for analysts conducting studies at a national level in developing countries and countries with economies in transition. A useful compendium of information for analysts in other countries and also of interest to scientists and policy makers involved in the field of global climate change who wish to better understand how a mitigation assessment may be conducted.