Trace Element Contamination Of The Environment

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.)

Fundamental Aspects of Pollution Control and Environmental Science 1: Trace-Element Contamination of the Environment investigates the global biological consequences of dispersal of trace elements that are mined from localized limited deposits in the environment. It considers the problem of trace-element contamination of the biosphere as an environmental pollution and as part of the ecological crisis as a whole. Comprised of eight chapters, this volume begins with an overview of trace-element contaminants, such as lead, cadmium, and mercury. It then discusses factors affecting the trace-element composition of soils, including sulfur, lime, and fertilizers. It explains as well the trace-element contamination of the atmosphere and hydrosphere, the sources of trace-element contamination of soils, and the availability of trace elements in the soil. The consequences of trace-element contamination of the soil, including its effects on crops and animals, are also discussed. The book also provides ways to prevent dispersal of metals in the environment. This book will be an essential reading for undergraduates, law students, and those who are interested about environmental pollution caused by trace elements.

This volume discusses major areas of primary concern for the understanding of the complexity associated with ecological trace element research. These include sources and fates of trace elements; analytical techniques; and the distribution of trace elements in biota and soil and sediment reservoirs. Case studies, field work and laboratory studies intensively discussed in this volume are useful to enhance our knowledge about processes related to the biological response of trace metal stress under realistic environmental conditions.

Access state-of-the-art research about trace element contamination and its impact on human health in Trace Elements as Contaminants and Nutrients: Consequences in Ecosystems and Human Health. In this ground-breaking guide, find exhaustive evidence of trace element contamination in the environment with topics like the functions and essentiality of trace metals, bioavailability and uptake biochemistry, membrane biochemistry and transport mechanisms, and enzymology. Find case studies that will reinforce the fundamentals of mineral nutrition in plants and animals and current information about fortified foods and nutrient deficiencies.

Access state-of-the-art research about trace element contamination and its impact on human health in Trace Elements as Contaminants and Nutrients: Consequences in Ecosystems and Human Health. In this ground-breaking guide, find exhaustive evidence of trace element contamination in the environment with topics like the functions and essentiality of trace metals, bioavailability and uptake biochemistry, membrane biochemistry and transport mechanisms, and enzymology. Find case studies that will reinforce the fundamentals of mineral nutrition in plants and animals and current information about fortified foods and nutrient deficiencies.

The population explosion that began in the 1960s has been accompanied by a decrease in the quality of the natural environment, e.g. pollution of the air, water and soil with essential and toxic trace elements. Numerous poisonings of people and animals with highly toxic anthropogenic Hg and Cd in the 20th century prompted the creation of the abiotic environment, mainly in developed countries. However, the system is insufficient for long-term exposure to low concentrations of various substances that are mainly ingested through food and water. This problem could be addressed by the monitoring of sentinels – organisms that accumulate trace elements and as such reflect the rate and degree of environmental pollution. Usually these are long-lived vertebrates – herbivorous, omnivorous and carnivorous birds and mammals, especially game species. This book describes the responses of the sentinels most commonly used in ecotoxicological studies to 17 trace elements.

A comprehensive reference handbook on the important aspects of trace elements in the land environment. Each chapter addresses a particular element and gives a general introduction to their role in the environment, where they come from, and their biogeochemical cycles. In addition to a complete updating of each of the element chapters, this new edition has new chapters devoted to aluminum and iron, soil contamination, remediation and trace elements in aquatic ecosystems. In short, an essential resource for environmental scientists and chemists, regulators and policy makers.

The occurrence of heavy metals in the environment, even in traces, represents a severe risk for the ecosystems and can be dangerous to human health. However, a better understanding of the main aspects involved is still needed to reduce its negative impact on the environment and health. This book covers the recent methods used for the evaluation of heavy metal pollution and the identification of its sources, descriptions of some of the processes involved in its mobility and transport, attempts to address health and environmental effects of heavy metals pollution, and presents alternative technologies for its removal and remediation from environmental samples. Therefore, this book is recommended for experts in the comprehensive management of metal contamination in different environmental compartments.