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This book highlights the development of cotton sector and its related issues, in Ethiopia. The book is a comprehensive collection of detailed chapters ranging from agricultural aspects of cotton, its value chain, and economics. It provides an overview of the cotton sector development and the challenges faced in the growth and extension of cotton production and research in three separate sections i.e., cotton agriculture, cotton fibre technology and cross-cutting issues in the cotton sector. In the first part of the book, agricultural aspects of cotton fibre production such as, cotton agronomy, genetics and breeding, biotechnology, mechanized production, crop harvesting management are discussed in detail. This is followed by chapters concerned to a comprehensive knowledge on cotton fibre demand and supply in Ethiopia, ginning technology and industries, cotton quality testing and grading, quality requirements for spinning, cotton fabric production, chemical processing aspects and therole of cotton fabrics in the Ethiopian fashion industry. The final section of the book deals with chapters on the cotton seed production techniques, cotton research and promotion, challenges in quality cotton production, cotton value chain and economics and sustainable cotton production. This book is a valuable resource for all those concerned with cotton biology and agriculture, production and extension, research and development, fashion industry, research and academia. ​

This text coherently links biochemical fundamentals and mechanisms with economic and societal problems of environmental pollution. It addresses interdisciplinary topics such as regulatory problems, sampling and pollutant quantifi cation, model organisms and provides a philosophical perspective on the toxin load on a variety of organisms, including humans in the environment in the Anthropocene. Case studies and exercises illustrate current issues and discuss future aspects.

The issue and finding the green solution of Solid Waste Management are important challenges throughout the world. This book explores cutting edge developments in Circular Economy and Sustainability on Solid Waste Management, current research perspectives, existing problems on solid waste management system, industrial development and the latest green methodology for in Solid Waste conversion and regenerate products and materials, environmental solutions, social awareness and development on solid waste management and the future perspectives of Circular Economy for industrial revolution 4.0 with the mission of green chemistry and engineering on solid waste management. It focuses on chapters from different researchers, faculty members, scientists and engineers, industrialist and experts from different countries working on the Circular Economy on Solid Waste Management. It also features the importance of integration of multi-disciplinary research fields on Circular Economy for Sustainable Development. It provides latest development in and current research perspectives, technology development, and critical thinking and societal requirements and development on Circular Economy of Solid Waste Management to researchers, scientists, engineers, environmental managers, policy makers, and Experts of Energy Division of Government and Private Organization and Industries.^

This edited book focuses on the application and implementation of bioremediation and other strategies to create a sustainable and healthy environment. It provides a collection of approaches to environmental biotechnology for wastewater treatment, removal of soil heavy metals, degradation of pesticides, removal of dyes, waste management, and microbial conversion of environmental pollutants. This book brings to the fore contributions of certain globally important environmental biotechnologist. Bioremediation is a popular branch of biotechnology that involves the use of living organisms such as microorganisms (microbial remediation), bacteria, fungus (mycoremediation), and plants (phytoremediation) to bind, extract, and clean up contaminants, pollutants, and toxins from soil, groundwater, and other environments. This book is of interest to researchers, scientists, and academic faculty in environmental sciences. Also, it serves as additional reading and reference material for undergraduate and graduate students as well as postdocs in environmental, agriculture, ecology, and soil sciences. National and International policy makers will also find valuable information from this book.

This book presents quality technical papers representing the recent developments in the field of hydrological modeling, water management and water governance including practical applications. The content covers multifarious aspects of hydrology and water resources. It includes an application of the Hydrologic Modelling System (HEC-HMS) which has been successfully demonstrated for assessment of floods. The authors suggest an approach for the mitigation of cyclone disaster through a case study of the Phailin cyclone, whilst considering mitigating pluvial flooding, developing suitable management strategies. The book includes chapters discussing the detrended fluctuation analysis which is carried out for multifractal description of droughts. Drought characteristics are analyzed, and drought indices evolved for drought preparedness/management. The use of science in community planning under changing climate is also studied and discussed. The authors present and experimental study wherein hydraulic coefficients are calibrated by using vertical orifice. A cross flow hybrid hydrokinetic turbine is also evaluated for performance, and high head regulating radial gate designed and studied its sensitivity.This book will appeal to researchers, field practitioners, NGO and other Governmental as well as private water practitioners

This book presents select papers from the International Conference on Smart Materials and Techniques for Sustainable Development (SMTS) 2019. The contents focus on a wide range of methods and techniques related to sustainable development fields like smart structures and materials, innovation in water resource development, optical fiber communication, green construction materials, optimization and innovation in structural design, structural dynamics and earthquake engineering, structural health monitoring, nanomaterials, nanotechnology and sensors, smart biomaterials and medical devices, materials for energy conversion and storage devices, and IoT in sustainable development. This book aims to provide up-to-date and authoritative knowledge from both industrial and academic worlds, sharing best practice in the field of smart materials analysis. The contents of this book will be beneficial to students, researchers, and professionals working in the field of smart materials and sustainable development.

This edited book focusses on green chemistry as the research community endeavours to create eco-friendly materials and technologies. It provides an in-depth overview of the fundamentals, key concepts and experimental techniques for eco-friendly synthesis of organic compounds and metal/metal oxide nanoparticles/nanomaterials. It also emphasizes the mechanisms, designing and industrial technologies for green synthesis and its applications. Each chapter brings the recent developments, state of the art, challenges and perspectives which cover all the aspects in one place, and which concern the green synthesis and evolution. Authored by world-renowned experts in a broad range of green chemistry sectors, this book is an archival reference guide for researchers, engineers, scientists and postgraduates working in the field of sustainable science, green chemistry, environmental science, engineering sciences and industrial technologies.

Heavy metals and metalloids, singly or in combination, induce toxic manifestations either through acute or chronic pathology. In particular, long-term chronic exposure to diverse heavy metals and metalloids to humans and animals can lead to numerous physical, muscular, neurological, nephrological, and diverse degenerative diseases and dysfunctions, including multiple sclerosis, muscular dystrophy, Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases, cardiovascular disorders, and several others.Recognized heavy metals such as lead, mercury, arsenic, cadmium, thallium, and hexavalent chromium are known for enormous toxicity. The immediate vital signs of acute heavy metal exposure include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and acute abdominal pain. Mercury has been identified as the most toxic heavy metal, and mercury poisoning is known as acrodynia or pink disease. Similarly, lead, another toxic heavy metal, was at one time an integral part of painting.Metal Toxicology Handbook further explains and discusses the varying attributes of metals, discussing toxicity, safety, and proper human utilization of metals. Beginning with a broad overview of metals, metalloids, redox biology, and neurodegeneration and going further into the roles, benefits, and toxicity of metals with each section, the text contains 28 chapters from eminent researchers and scientists in their respective fields and is a must-have for anyone researching the potential toxicity in metals.Key Features Discusses the pathology of metal toxicity Highlights the benefits of metals Explains the mechanism and salient features of restoring metabolic homeostasis Highlights dose-dependent beneficial and adverse effects of vanadium safety and toxicity The initial introductory section provides a broad overview of metals, metalloids, redox biology, and neurodegeneration. The second section discusses the pathology of metal toxicity in two chapters, while the third section highlights the mechanism and salient features of restoring metabolic homeostasis in two chapters. The fourth section demonstrates the aspect of radionuclides toxicity. In a change of pace, the fifth section discusses the benefits of metals in four chapters. The sixth section, titled'Toxic Manifestations by Diverse Heavy Metals and Metalloids,'provides fourteen chapters that discuss the toxicological mechanism and manifestation of individual metals.The editors have crafted a commentary titled'A Treatise on Metal Toxicity'and summarized a vivid scenario of metal toxicity and its consequences.

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.

Soil and water salinity is a major challenge for the agricultural community and policy makers in terms of meeting the burgeoning population's demand for food and other agricultural commodities. In coastal regions, climate change and sea level rise will aggravate the problem with more and more areas becoming saline due to intrusion of sea water. As such there is a pressing need for modern tools and innovative techniques for the identification of salty soils and poor-quality waters, crop production, soil reclamation and lowering the water table in waterlogged areas. Tackling next-generation problems such as contamination of soil and underground water due to fluoride and arsenic, as well as developing multi-stress tolerant crops is also a high priority. Further, techniques for domesticating halophytes, mangrove-based aquacultures, using seaweed cultures as agricultural crops and integrated farming systems need to be perfected. This book addresses all these aspects in detail, highlighting the diverse solutions to tackle the complex problem of salinity and waterlogging and safer management of poor-quality waters. With chapters written by leading experts, it is a valuable resource for researchers planning future investigations, policy makers, farmers and other stakeholders, and for students wanting insights into vital issues of environment.

Fungal nanobionics has great prospects for developing new products with industrial, agriculture, medicine and consumer applications in a wide range of sectors. The fields of chemical engineering, agri-food, biochemical, pharmaceuticals, diagnostics and medical device development all employ fungal products, with fungal nanomaterials currently used in a wide range of applications, ranging from drug development to food industry and agricultural sector. The fungal agents emerge as an environmentally friendly, clean, non‐toxic agent for the biogenic metal nanoparticles and employs both intracellular and extracellular methods. The simplicity of scaling up and downstream processing and the presence of fungal mycelia affording an increased surface area provide key advantages. In addition, the larger spectrum of synthesized nanoparticle morphologies and the substantially faster biosynthesis rate in cell-free filtrate (due to the higher amount of proteins secreted in fungi) make this a particularly enticing route. Understanding the diversity of fungi in assorted ecosystems, as well as their interactions with other microorganisms, animals and plants, is essential to underpin real and innovative technological developments and the applications of metal nanoparticles in many disciplines including agriculture, catalysis, and biomedical biosensors. Importantly, biogenic fungal nanoparticles show significant synergistic characteristics when combined with antibiotics and fungicides to offer substantially greater resistance to microbial growth and applications in nanomedicine ranging from topical ointments and bandages for wound healing to coated stents.

Research into ecotoxicology can be classified into three fundamental concerns: abiotic factors, which characterize the physicochemistry of environments; biotic factors, relating to biological structures and functions; and contamination factors, which define the modes of pollution of ecosystems. The most significant research methodologies currently being developed in aquatic ecotoxicology are presented, specifically experimental approaches in the laboratory

As one of many tasks of an analytical chemistry program sponsored by the office of Pesticides and Toxic Substances, Field Studies Branch, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) (EPA Prime Contract No. 68-02-3938), Midwest Research Institute (MRI) prepared these summaries of the mammalian toxicology of 52 individual elements (metals and metalloids) and the lanthanides (rare earth elements). MRI is assisting the EPA in developing protocols for the monitoring of selected metals and organic compounds in the blood of the general U.S. population. The monitoring will enable evaluation of changes in the blood levels over time and any trends associated with instituted control measures. This review will help EPA select the metals to be included in the monitoring effort based on toxicity, relative exposure, and the ability of blood measurements to reflect exposure.

Principles of Animal Extrapolation addresses the conceptual basis for animal extrapolation and provides an abundance of documentation that illustrates how these principles may be applied in the selection of the more appropriate models and in the interpretation of toxicological studies. The book analyzes and documents each specific biological cause of interspecies differences in susceptibility to toxic agents, including differences in absorption, gut flora, tissue distribution, metabolism, mechanisms and efficiencies of repair, and excretion. The problem of the heterogenicity of the human population is addressed through several chapters that assess the availability and prospects of developing predictive animal models for normal humans, as well as selected potential high-risk groups. Other topics presented in this book include the biological basis of regulatory actions involving attempts to extrapolate from exceptionally high exposure levels to realistic values, especially carcinogens; an assessment of genotoxicity tests, their ability to predict carcinogenicity in whole animals, and the manner in which they should be used by regulatory agencies; birth defects; and predicting the risk of human teratogenesis. Principle of Animal Extrapolation is essential for environmental toxicologists. It also provides valuable information to biomedical scientists (especially those involved in drug development and testing) and regulatory personnel in agencies such as the EPA, the OSHA, the NIOSH, and the FDA.

Reversibility of Chronic Disease and Hypersensitivity, Volume 4: The Environmental Aspects of Chemical Sensitivity is the fourth of an encyclopedic five-volume set describing the basic physiology, chemical sensitivity, diagnosis, and treatment of chronic degenerative disease studied in a 5x less polluted controlled environment. This text focuses on treatment techniques, strategies, protocols, prescriptions, and technologies. Distinguishing itself from previous works on chemical sensitivity, it explains newly understood mechanisms of chronic disease and hypersensitivity, involving core molecular function. The authors discuss new information on ground regulation system, genetics, the autonomic nervous system, and immune and non-immune functions. The book also includes the latest technology and cutting-edge techniques, numerous figures, and supporting research.

In the present scenario, green technologies are playing significant role in changing the course of nation's economic growth towards sustainability and providing an alternative socio-economic model that will enable present and future generations to live in a clean and healthy environment, in harmony with nature. Green technology, which is also known as clean technology, refers to the development and extension of processes, practices, and applications that improve or replace the existing technologies facilitating society to meet their own needs while substantially decreasing the impact of human on the planet, and reducing environmental risks and ecological scarcities. The concepts of Green Technologies, if endorsed and pervaded into the lives of all societies, will facilitate the aim of the Millennium Development Goals of keeping the environment intact and improve it for the civilization to survive. Green Technologies and Environmental Sustainability is focused on the goals of green technologies which are becoming increasingly important for ensuring sustainability. This book provides different perspectives of green technology in sectors like energy, agriculture, waste management and economics and contains recent advancements made towards sustainable development in the field of bioenergy, nanotechnology, green chemistry, bioremediation, degraded land reclamation. This book is written for a large and broad readership, including researchers, scientists, academicians and readers from diverse backgrounds across various fields such as nanotechnology, chemistry, agriculture, environmental science, water engineering, waste management and energy. It could also serve as a reference book for graduates and post-graduate students, faculties, environmentalist and industrial personnel who are working in the area of green technologies.

This book is compilation of studies related with the xenobiotics i.e. chemical or other substance that is not normally found in the ecosystems and get accumulated at higher concentration in the biological system due to rampant industrialisation and urbanisation activities. This book has tried to give information on various issues to give comprehensive and concise knowledge of the recent advancement in the field of environmental xenobiotics and how it disturbs the plants metabolism. Other key features of the book are related to xenobiotic toxicity and detoxification mechanism, biochemical tools toward its remediation processes, molecular mechanism for xenobiotics detoxification and effect on metallomics. It also focuses on recent development in the field of waste water remediation concerned with the xenobiotics involvement. This book is different in such a way that it includes all the initial information along with the new researches. It includes the description of problem along with its solution. This volume describe the effects of xenobiotics at different levels i.e. biochemical, physiological and molecular, giving the details on signaling pathways to modify the responses of xenobiotics in plant system. Thus, it gives confirming crosstalk between xenobiotic effects and signalling pathways.This book includes description about both the organic contaminants such as pesticides, solvents and petroleum products as well as inorganic xenobiotics that include heavy metals, non-metals, metalloids, and simple soluble salts. Here the plant is main objective and that have to deal with these kinds of compounds either by avoiding accumulation of these compounds or by exhibiting several enzymatic reactions for detoxification including oxidation, reduction, and conjugation reactions. Affected plants exhibit several enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidant and other reactions for detoxification of ROS including oxidation, reduction, hydrolysis and conjugation reactions. The book focuses on different forms and sources of xenobiotics including organic and inorganic xenobiotics. The matter of this book will definitely increase the knowledge about the impacts of xenobiotics on plants system. There must be potentially broad readership who could find this fruitful for their study as well as for their research. As this book has balance between basic plant physiology and toxicity caused by the xenobiotics so it can be widely used in several disciplines. Overall, the book will bring deep knowledge in the field of xenobiotics toxicity in plants during recent years and it is definitely a compilation of interesting information which isn't fully covered elsewhere in the current market.

Die 2., überarbeitete und ergänzte Auflage des vielbenützten Werkes gibt den aktuellen Stand derzeit eingesetzter Verfahren und Chemikalien in der Druck- und Kopierbranche wieder. Die intensiven Kooperationen des Autors z.B. mit der Druckfarbenindustrie und Anwendern bieten die Gewähr dafür, daß der neueste Stand des Wissens und der Technik präsentiert werden kann. Das Buch gibt einen Überblick über die eingesetzten Stoffe, ihren Anwendungsbereich, ihre Funktion im Druckprozess und soweit möglich, auch über ihre ökologische Relevanz. Zu jeder Chemikalie steht ein Datenblatt zur Verfügung, das alle wichtigen chemischen, physikalischen, biologischen und toxikologischen Daten enthält. Für Druckereien, Reproanstalten und Behörden bietet das Buch eine fundierte, kompakte Wissensbasis, auf der qualifizierte Entscheidungen getroffen werden können.

Das Buch gibt erstmals einen Überblick über die in der metallverarbeitenden Industrie eingesetzten Chemikalien. Anwendungsbereiche, Funktionen und alle stoffspezifischen, ökologisch relevanten Informationen werden übersichtlich in Datenblättern dargestellt. Dabei sind alle relevanten Chemikalien berücksichtigt. Dem umfangreichen Datenteil ist eine Darstellung der verwendeten Chemikalien und der damit verknüpften Prozesse, einschließlich Abwasser und Abluft, vorangestellt. Mit diesen Informationen wird das Buch in der metallverarbeitenden Industrie, bei Behörden und vor allem dort sehr hilfreich sein, wo Richt- und Grenzwerte vorgegeben werden sollen oder wo Hersteller oder Verarbeiter mehr über Inhaltsstoffe und deren Umweltwirkungen wissen wollen.

Der aktuelle Überblick informiert erstmals umfassend über die Herstellungs- und Verarbeitungsverfahren in der Kautschukindustrie einschließlich Abfallbehandlung, Entsorgung und Recycling. Ein umfangreicher Datenteil enthält Angaben zu Anwendungsbereichen, Funktionen und stoffspezifischen Eigenschaften sowie ökologisch relevante Informationen zu allen 1400 als Roh- und Hilfsstoffe bekannten Verbindungen.

Proceedings of a Colloquium held at Oberursel/Taunus, West Germany, 9-11 November, 1981

neuer Text:Immer raffiniertere Kameras, neue Filme und schnellere Entwicklungsmethoden öffnen dem Fotografen ein stetig breiter werdendes Feld gestalterischer Möglichkeiten. Neue Effekte, brillantere Bilder und bessere Bildqualitäten erfordern neue, zusätzliche Chemikalien und Verfahren. Die Neuauflage dieses erfolgreichen Werkes trägt der rasanten Entwicklung Rechnung; sie ist umfangreich überarbeitet, erweitert und aktualisiert worden. In bewährter Weise faßt das Buch alle Chemikalien der Branche übersichtlich mit allen wichtigen Informationen auf Datenblättern zusammen. Dem Datenteil vorangestellt ist eine Beschreibung der heute angewandten fotografischen Prozesse unter Einschluß neuester Verfahren. Das Buch bietet erstmals eine Zusammenstellung aller heute bekannten Aufarbeitungsprozesse. Es zeigt, welche Stoffe in welchen Mengen in den verschiedenen fotografischen Prozessen eingesetzt werden bzw. welche Reststoffmengen anfallen. Verfahren zur Regenerierung von Fotobändern und zur Rückgewinnung von Chemikalien werden ausführlich dargestellt und vergleichend beurteilt. Der Leser erhält so einen Überblick über alle fotografischen Chemikalien und möglichen emissionsmindernde Maßnahmen; er findet alle notwendigen Angaben zu den Bädern, die als Abfälle zu entsorgen sind, als Rohstoffquellen einer Aufarbeitungspflicht unterliegen oder nach einer geeigneten Behandlung als Abwasser abgeführt werden dürfen. Auch diese 2. Auflage wird sich als überall dort nützlich erweisen, wo Richt- oder Grenzwerte für Emissionen vorgeschrieben sind oder vorgegeben werden müssen. Das Buch liefert über die Sachbearbeiter, Gutachter und Entscheidungsträger in den Genehmigungsbehörden hinaus auch den Betreibern von Fotolaboratorien oder Entsorgerfirmen die notwendigen Daten in übersichtlicher und aktueller Form. alter Text: Das Buch faßt Art, Mengen und Umweltrelevanz der Fotochemikalien zusammen, die in der Bundesrepublik Deutschland bekanntsind oder eingesetzt werden. Erstmals werden die gesamten Chemikalien einer Branche übersichtlich mit allen wichtigen Informationen auf Datenblättern dargestellt. Dem voraus geht eine kurze Beschreibung der heute angewandten fotografischen Prozesse. Bekannte und neue Verfahren zur Abwasserbehandlung und Badaufbereitung werden beschrieben und beurteilt. Dabei spielt die Silberrückgewinnung eine ebenso wichtige Rolle wie die Regenerierung von Entwickler- und Filmabfällen. Ziel des Buches ist es, dem Leser einen Überblick über fotografische Chemikalien und mögliche emissionsmindernde Maßnahmen zu geben. Dies wird sich z. B. unmittelbar dort als sehr nützlich erweisen, wo Richt- und Grenzwerte für erwartete Emissionen vorgegeben werden sollen. Die 2. Auflage dieses von vielen Sachbearbeitern, Gutachtern sowie Abfall- und Umweltbeauftragten sehr geschätzten Werkes ist umfassend überarbeitet und erweitert worden.

Das Buch gibt einen Überblick über alle heute gängigen Gerätebatterien. Diese werden mit Inhaltsstoffen, technischen Informationen, Einsatzbereichen, Marktdaten, Entwicklungstrends und Umweltproblemen beschrieben. Erprobte, realisierte und projektierte Recyclingverfahren werden ausführlich vorgestellt, ebenso die verschiedenen Entsorgungswege und die gesetzlichen Rahmenbedingungen. Daneben gibt das Buch einen Überblick über die in der Batterieherstellung eingesetzten Chemikalien. Anwendungsbereiche, Funktionen und alle stoffspezifischen, ökologisch relevanten Informationen werden übersichtlich in Datenblättern dargestellt. Mit diesen Informationen wird das Buch bei Industrie, Behörden, Verbraucherorganisationen und vor allem dort sehr hilfreich sein, wo Richt- und Grenzwerte vorgegeben werden sollen oder wo der Batteriebenutzer mehr über Inhaltsstoffe und deren Umweltwirkungen wissen will.

Environmental Chemistry is a relatively young science. Interest in this subject, however, is growing very rapidly and, although no agreement has been reached as yet about the exact content and limits of this interdisciplinary discipline, there appears to be increasing interest in seeing environmental topics which are based on chemistry embodied in this subject. One of the first objectives of Environmental Chemistry must be the study of the environment and of natural chemical processes which occur in the environment. A major purpose of this series on Environmental Chemistry, therefore, is to present a reasonably uniform view of various aspects of the chemistry of the environment and chemical reactions occurring in the environment. The industrial activities of man have given a new dimension to Environmental Chemistry. We have now synthesized and described over five million chemical compounds and chemical industry produces about hundred and fifty million tons of synthetic chemicals annually. We ship billions of tons of oil per year and through mining operations and other geophysical modifications, large quantities of inorganic and organic materials are released from their natural deposits. Cities and metropolitan areas of up to 15 million inhabitants produce large quantities of waste in relatively small and confined areas. Much of the chemical products and waste products of modern society are released into the environment either during production, storage, transport, use or ultimate disposal. These released materials participate in natural cycles and reactions and frequently lead to interference and disturbance of natural systems.

A number of well-known forests have been the object of studies by ecological teams. Every ecologist is familiar with the names of forests such as Whytham Woods in England (Elton 1966), Solling in West Germany (Ellenberg 1971), Hubbard Brook in New Hampshire, U. S. A. (Likens et al. 1977, Bormann and Likens 1979), and ladra6s in Central Sweden (Persson 1980). The number of such team studies grew rapidly during the period of the International Biological Programme (Reichle 1981). Each of these forests represented aspects oflocal and general interest. The Niepolomice Forest in Southern Poland (Fig. 1) does not possess any spectacular features and it may be regarded as a typical forest of the lowlands of continental Europe. Situated in the Vistula River Valley, 20 km east of Cracow (50°07'N, 20°23'E) it consists of two major sections: an extensive pine forest of the Pino-Quercetum type, and a smaller, deciduous, oak-hornbeam- Fig. 1. The location of the Niepolomice Forest in Southern Poland VI Preface Tilio Carpinetum forest. This huge forested area (11,000 ha) owes its survival in one of the most densely populated parts of Europe to a long period of protection as a royal hunting ground. The period of royal protection ended abruptly at the turn of 20th century under the devastating blows of two world wars followed by perhaps an even greater danger, the effects of modern developments in heavy industry.

Clothing is an inherent necessity for human beings. Textiles protect us from unfavourable weather and other environmental calamities. Moreover, textiles are instruments of social and cul­ tural affiliation and self-acceptance while at the same time fulfiling our desire for individuality. These reasons motivated textile development that results in ever more sophisticated dothing in all ethnic societies today. Fashion becomes something like body language, a'second skin'that accentuates style and rank, sex and power, or their opposites. In our modem society, fashion attains a new dimension as synthetic fibres are manufactured and new chemical finishing treatments developed. Considering the wool of a sheep and an end­ fashioned pullover, it is evident that, in course of time, textiles have become'complicated'! Trying to answer the question'how does the sheep fibre become the pullover'is simultaneously the an­ swerof'what is textile finishing'. Almost 2500 different chemicals can be used to colour and prepare a certain fibre in such a way that it will be able to fulfil modem functionalized requirements such as having easy-care proper­ ties, etc.

of metal interactions with subcellular biochemical systems usually either are metabolites of the system affected (porphyrinurias) or represent some specific function of a cellular system being impaired (proteinurias). One typically finds a continuum of symptoms, from the subtle or so-called'no effect'bio­ chemical and physiological indicators of exposure to severe clinical disease and death. This continuum is the basis of much of the controversy since many health officials follow the traditional practice of applying the'threshold­ health-effect'concept in evaluating the problems of environmental exposure to metals. The past decade or so, however, has seen a vast increase in our understanding of the effects of elevated concentrations of toxic metals in local populations and ecosystems. At the same time, there is a growing awareness that the effects of the metals which occur naturally in the environment must be distinguished from those imposed by the pollutant fraction. This point was amply document­ ed in a recent study of cadmium intake and cadmium in a number of human tissues in Sweden, Japan, and the United States, which showed fairly conclu­ sively that the background exposure in Japan was about threefold higher than in the other two countries (2). One immediate implication is that any health ef­ fect studies of cadmium in Japan using control groups within that country are liable to underestimate the difference between the exposed and the control groups simply because of the the high'background'intake.

Based on the work and contributions of 46 scientists, managers, and policymakers, Ecological Assessment of Selenium in the Aquatic Environment documents the state of the science and explores how to use this information when assessing and managing the environmental effects of Se. A focused discussion on the fate and effects of Se in aquatic ecosyste

It is becoming increasingly realised that the oceans and rivers, in particular, are not unlimited reservoir into which waste can be dumped and that control of these emissions is necessary if complete destruction of the environment is to be avoided. T. R. Crompton has drawn together up-to-date information on these issues and on the relevant analytical methods needed by all experts active in environmental protection and toxicology.

The activities of modern society have unleashed a range of toxic chemicals into the global environment. Many of these toxicants are now being detected in increasing quantities in the tissues of marine mammals, most notably in top predators who acquire relatively large amounts of toxic chemicals by ingesting contaminated prey.Toxicology of M

Water is elixir of life but the man has miserably failed to recognize this fact for the future generations. No doubt, India has a variety of lentic and lotic water resources, unprecedented development at all fronts associated with population explosion and mushroom growth of industries causes a rapid deterioration in the quality of aquatic environment. The environment is emerging as multidisciplinary faculty and aquatic environment has gained new dimensions. The present publication has been edited to reflect various aspects of aquatic environment with species emphasis on toxicology. This book is a unique compilation of 50 research articles, which will act as a searchlight for academicians, researchers, scientists, administrators and ecoplanners, which are working in the field of hydrobiology and aquacultural strategies.

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.

Much of the convenience of modern life resides in sheet metal, the cowling shield of most machines and appliances. However, the load that this takes off human shoulders has to be carried elsewhere, and the Earth has borne the burden. Many of us woke up to the environmental cost when over a century of industrialization finally surpassed the capacity

Constructed wetlands are proving to be the best natural treatment system for landfill leachates.Most of the contaminants in landfill leachates are degraded in treatment wetlands. Potential for long-term sustainability and significant cost savings are attractive features of this eco-technology.Documentation of the experience in this use of constructed wetlands has been limited. Constructed Wetlands for the Treatment of Landfill Leachates is the first compilation of the results of research from North America and Europe. Originally presented at an international symposium, this collection of papers offers the most recent research findings from the leading researchers in this new and innovative natural treatment system.Specific issues addressed in the text include:leachate characteristics, and the potential for treatability by constructed wetlands wetland treatment, processes and transformation use of constructed wetlands in cold climatic conditions assessment of the tolerance of wetland plants to the toxicity of leachates role of plants in the treatments of leachates integrated wetland systems performance of different wetland treatment systems cost comparisons of wetland technology vs. traditional treatment technologiesThe potential for environmental contamination due to leachates from landfills is increasing, and there is an urgent need to find ways and means to treat leachates in a sustainable way Constructed Wetlands for the Treatment of Landfill Leachates will provide an invaluable source of information on the subject for scientists, engineers, practitioners, policy makers, and regulatory officials.

This volume offers the most comprehensive presentation available on metal toxicology. It discusses not only metals but also the toxic endpoints, such as neurotoxicity, renal toxicity, and cancer induction. Chapters are written by experts in their respective fields, focusing on carcinogenesis and human exposures and highlighting the major aspects and issues of toxicity in general.

'The combination of scientific and institutional integrity represented by this book is unusual. It should be a model for future endeavors to help quantify environmental risk as a basis for good decisionmaking.'—William D. Ruckelshaus, from the foreword. This volume, prepared under the auspices of the Health Effects Institute, an independent research organization created and funded jointly by the Environmental Protection Agency and the automobile industry, brings together experts on atmospheric exposure and on the biological effects of toxic substances to examine what is known—and not known—about the human health risks of automotive emissions.

Topics in Environmental Health, Volume 6: Biological and Environmental Effects of Arsenic focuses on the properties, characteristics, and reactions of arsenic and its effects on the environment. The selection first tackles the mobilization of arsenic by natural and industrial processes and emissions, cycling, and effects of arsenic in soil ecosystems. Discussions focus on the effects of arsenic on plants and soil microorganisms, exposure through consumption, sources of arsenic, and mobilization of arsenic by natural processes and industrial activities. The publication then ponders on environmental reaction and analysis methods and arsenical metabolism and toxicity to freshwater and marine species. The text examines the metabolism of arsenic and epidemiology of human arsenic exposure, including acute and chronic effects by arsenic in man, absorption, tissue distribution and retention, and elimination and biological half-time. The publication then takes a look at the toxicity of arsenic and its compounds, as well as biological transformation of arsenic compounds in soil ecosystems and effects on plants; biotransformation of arsenic compounds and toxicity to freshwater and marine biota; and environmental transformation of arsenic in freshwater/marine ecosystems. The selection is a dependable reference for readers interested in the biological and environmental effects of arsenic.

Provides an overview of the effects of environmentally and occupationally important metals on the immune system and host defence. The fist ten chapters in the text focus on particular metals or groups of metals, including arsenic, beryllium, cadmium, chromium, lead, mercury, nickel and vanadium. Subsequent chapters examine the immunotoxicological e

This book provides an in-depth discussion of various aspects of metal ecotoxicology. State-of-the-art information and techniques in areas ranging from metal behavior in surface waters to bioaccumulation kinetics and toxicokinetics to community effects are presented in a hierarchical arrangement. Specific topics discussed include metals in abiotic components of ecosystems, autecology (effects of metals relative to the individual or a single species), and metals in marine and freshwater systems in the context of synecology (species associated and interacting as a unit). This is an important book that will be useful to researchers, risk assessment consultants, regulatory personnel, and teachers and students.

Specialist Periodical Reports provide systematic and detailed review coverage of progress in the major areas of chemical research. Written by experts in their specialist fields the series creates a unique service for the active research chemist, supplying regular critical in-depth accounts of progress in particular areas of chemistry. For over 80 years the Royal Society of Chemistry and its predecessor, the Chemical Society, have been publishing reports charting developments in chemistry, which originally took the form of Annual Reports. However, by 1967 the whole spectrum of chemistry could no longer be contained within one volume and the series Specialist Periodical Reports was born. The Annual Reports themselves still existed but were divided into two, and subsequently three, volumes covering Inorganic, Organic and Physical Chemistry. For more general coverage of the highlights in chemistry they remain a'must'. Since that time the SPR series has altered according to the fluctuating degree of activity in various fields of chemistry. Some titles have remained unchanged, while others have altered their emphasis along with their titles; some have been combined under a new name whereas others have had to be discontinued. The current list of Specialist Periodical Reports can be seen on the inside flap of this volume.