Environmental Micropollutants

Environmental Micropollutants, the latest volume in the Advances in Environmental Pollution Research series, presents the latest research on various environmental micropollutants, as well as their impacts on health and the economy, also addressing the best possible solutions to address the risks presented by these pollutants. The book covers solutions for dusts, infectious particles, heavy metals, organophosphates, atmospheric toxic organic micropollutants, fungal spores, pollutants from E-waste, and antibiotics threats, providing researchers working in environmental science and management with key knowledge to address this increasingly important concern. These types of micropollutants can be present in water, air and soil and can harm health even in low quantities, hence this book covers the challenges these pollutants pose to the environment and human health, presenting practical solutions. Identifies key micropollutants in the environment and examines their impacts on human health and the economy Presents methods and treatment technologies for addressing the problem of micropollutants Offers the latest research on a variety of micropollutants and the best solutions for each

This volume discusses hazardous environmental micropollutants, their impacts on human health, and possible means to mitigate their associated risks. The book features chapters that cover a variety of topics related to environmental micropollutants, which include dusts, infectious particles, heavy metals, organophosphates, atmospheric toxic organic micropollutants, fungal spores, pollutants from E-waste, antibiotic waste, and more. In addition impacts on human health and the environment, economic issues are addressed, with potential policy solutions offered. This work is timely, as hazardous micropollutants in soil, water and air are becoming more common, and this environmental contamination is leading to increasing instances of suboptimal human health outcomes. The book will be of interest to students and researchers in environmental pollution and remediation technology, microbiologists, and environmental regulators.

Micropollutants and Challenges: Emerging in the Aquatic Environments and Treatment Processes systematically summarizes the characteristics, micropollutants types, production resources, occurrence in aqueous environments, health effects, methods of detection and treatments. Throughout each chapter, the following topics will be presented: (i) The quality and quantity evaluation of aquatic micro-pollutants, (ii) The need for innovative and affordable wastewater treatment technologies, and (iii) Combinations of different conventional and advanced technologies, including the biological and plant-based strategies that seem most promising. Presents information on the micropollutants that threaten all living organisms, showing the importance and relevance of this topic Assesses the effects of micropollutants on surface and groundwater Provides solutions for the removal of micropollutants in conventional and advanced treatment processes and compares the efficiency of different processes

Chlorinated Organic Micropollutants addresses the sources, environmental cycles, uptake, consequences and control of many of the more important chlorinated organic micropollutants, including PCBs, PCDDs, PCDFs and various chlorinated pesticides, all of which have given widespread cause for concern in relation to their environmental persistence and high toxicity, and their potential for adverse effects on humans and wildlife. Rational decision making over chlorinated organic micropollutants in the environment must be based upon sound science. This volume draws upon the expertise of some of the most distinguished workers in the field, to review current knowledge of the sources, environmental concentrations and pathways, human toxicity and ecotoxicology, and control methods for these groups of compounds. Chlorinated Organic Micropollutants gives a unique and valuable compilation of information on an extremely important group of environmental pollutants. It is fully up-to-date, and will provide a comprehensive overview of this topical subject that will be useful for years to come, to academic, student and professional alike.

Many 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.

Over the last few years there has been a growing concern over the increasing concentration of micropollutants originating from a great variety of sources including pharmaceutical, chemical engineering and personal care product industries in rivers, lakes, soil and groundwater. As most of the micropollutants are polar and persistent compounds, they are only partially or not at all removed from wastewater and thus can enter the environment posing a great risk to the biota. It is hypothesized that wastewater is one of the most important point sources for micropollutants. Treatment of Micropollutants in Water and Wastewater gives a comprehensive overview of modern analytical methods and will summarize novel single and hybrid methods to remove continuously emerging contaminants - micropollutants from the aqueous phase. New trends (e.g. sensor technology, nanotechnology and hybrid treatment technologies) are described in detail. The book is very timely because the new techniques are still in the development phase and have to be realized not only in the laboratory but also on a larger scale. The content of the book is divided into chapters that present current descriptive and analytical methods that are available to detect and measure micropollutants together with detailed information on various chemical, biological and physicochemical methods that have evolved over the last few decades. Treatment of Micropollutants in Water and Wastewater will also enable readers to make well informed choices through providing an understanding of why and how micropollutants must be removed from water sources, and what are the most appropriate and available techniques for providing a cost and technologically effective and sustainable solutions for reaching the goal of micropollutant-free water and wastewater. The book will be suitable for water and wastewater professionals as well for students and researchers in civil engineering, environmental engineering and process engineering fields.

Scientists, regulators, and the general public are now more and more aware of the chemicals present in surface waters worldwide. Agrochemicals, such as herbicides or insecticides, pharmaceuticals and cosmetics can be detected at low to medium concentrations in seas, groundwaters and rivers. Among freshwaters, lakes are of particular concern. These large reservoirs are used as sources of food and drinking water, but also serve for recreational activities. This book aims in presenting insights into the physical, chemical, and ecological dynamics of large lakes that enable proposing recommendations for sustainable lake management regarding chemicals. Lake Geneva, Switzerland, is used as a case study, but the developed methodologies and tools can be useful for lake water quality management in general. A first chapter is dedicated to the chemicals entering the lake through agriculture. These are mainly pesticides. After a review of the different types of compounds, the authors present the main pathways these compounds follow to enter the lake. The case of glyphosate, an herbicide largely used worldwide, is presented. A second chapter illustrates the urban source of pollutants with the case of pharmaceuticals and biocides. Two models are presented that allow estimating the load and the dynamic of these chemicals that may exit from an urban catchment and therefore reach a lake. Special attention will be paid to the ‘end of pipe’ removal of these compounds at a WWTP. A third chapter is dedicated to the lake circulation. The aim of this chapter is to present an overall description of the lake’s hydrodynamics, which is driven by three factors: wind, temperature and Coriolis forces. To achieve this aim, a hydrodynamic model is presented that allows describing the behavior of the top layer of the lake based on the wind direction. The importance of stable hydrogen and oxygen isotopes for characterizing the sources of water and the mixing processes in the lake is also described. The next chapters are dedicated to a Bay, called the Vidy Bay, that receives the treated effluents of the largest wastewater treatment plant of the lake catchment. This latter represents therefore one of the major point sources of contaminants for lake Geneva. These two chapters will focus on the various processes that control the transfer of chemicals (associated to particles or in a dissolved state) discharged into the bay and transported to the lake’s main water body. Then, a next chapter focuses on one major issue of chemicals in aquatic systems like lakes, i.e. the risk of the mixture of chemicals. The evaluation of the risk of mixture is not trivial and the models that allow doing it are presented in a critical way. Their validity as predictive tools is illustrated with the example of herbicides mixture in Lake Geneva. A final chapter synthesizes the main findings and discusses some recommendations for the management of large lakes regarding micropollution.

Proceedings of the Fifth European Symposium, held in Rome, Italy, October 20-22, 1987