Understanding Environmental Pollution
Understanding Environmental Pollution
This undergraduate textbook examines environmental pollution ranging from our homes to the global environment. Completely updated and with over 50% new and rewritten material, this new edition assesses the international scope of pollution, including water, climate change, acidification, energy, solid and hazardous waste, persistent chemicals, and pesticides. The pollutants of current major concern are examined, including plastics and electronic waste. Both the impacts and the sources of pollution are addressed, as well as governmental, corporate, and personal responsibility for pollution. Pollution prevention is emphasized throughout, but students will come to see that prevention is not enough. The text moves on to examine a circular economy with closed-loop systems, where by-products are reused, wastes become raw materials, water is recycled, and energy is recovered from waste energy. Understanding Environmental Pollution engages students with the idea that humanity holds the tools to confronting the daunting pollution issues by considering a circular economy.
- Accessible and compelling writing style uses non-technical language where possible to appeal to students with little scientific background
- Each chapter has been significantly updated from the Third Edition, with more than 50% new and rewritten material
- Student questions are now organised at the ends of the chapters
- Emphasis is placed on major pollution issues of international scope
- The author provides a more holistic focus in this edition, examining a circular economy with closed-loop systems
- Further reading and endnotes have been thoroughly updated
Reviews & endorsements
Review of previous edition: ‘This book, aimed mainly at students, provides a thorough background to pollution, from global issues to personal pollution in the home … This book provides an excellent introduction to the subject, providing the right information to enable students to evaluate environmental problems for themselves.' Environmental Assessment Magazine
Review of previous edition: ‘… a clear and well organised US-based text.' Waste Planning
Review of previous edition: ‘ … this book forms a very useful introduction to pollution problems, and would also suit a more general readership, including members of the public with an interest in pollution matters.' Marine Pollution Bulletin
Review of previous edition: 'There is a wealth of statistical information given, and jargon is either studiously avoided or fully explained. … this is a useful 'primer' for students and interested members of the public.' Journal of Biological Education
'The new edition of this popular textbook is wide-ranging, engaging, and easily accessible. It is a superb resource for students studying the causes, consequences, and management of environmental pollution.' James Rothwell, University of Manchester
'Marquita Hill’s Understanding Environmental Pollution has been an indispensable text for my environmental science course over the past ten years. She presents a wealth of information on the significant environmental issues facing our society in a well-organized, straightforward, clearly written text. I particularly applaud her section on risk management, which is applicable to the many issues she presents, and the many text-boxes among the chapters that bring to life issues, associated science, and solutions to the problems we face.' John Dorsey, Loyola Marymount University
'The fourth edition of Understanding Environmental Pollution provides a comprehensive and straightforward introduction to a wide range of environmental topics, including toxicity and risk assessment; a survey of air, water, and land pollution; energy use; and global change. A unique and intriguing focus of this book is the emphasis not merely on pollution reduction but on switching to a circular economy that features closed-loop, zero-waste, zero-emission systems and processes.' Usha Rao, St Joseph’s University
Product details
July 2020Adobe eBook Reader
9781108503679
0 pages
105 b/w illus. 44 tables 327 exercises
This ISBN is for an eBook version which is distributed on our behalf by a third party.
Table of Contents
- Preface
- Acknowledgements
- List of abbreviations and acronyms
- 1. Understanding pollution
- 2. Reducing pollution to reduce risk
- 3. Chemical toxicity
- 4. Chemical exposures and risk assessment
- 5. Ambient air pollution
- 6. Acid deposition
- 7. Global warming and ocean acidification
- 8. Energy and pollution
- 9. Stratospheric ozone depletion
- 10. Water pollution
- 11. Drinking water pollution
- 12. Solid waste
- 13. Hazardous waste
- 14. Persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic chemicals
- 15. Metals
- 16. Pesticides
- 17. Indoor air pollution
- 18. Zero waste, zero emissions
- Appendix. Chemistry – basic concepts
- Index.
