Encyclopedia of Pollution (Facts on File Science Library) (2 Volume Set) - Hardcover

Gates, Alexander E.; Blauvelt, Robert P.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0816070024 ISBN 13: 9780816070022

Publisher: Facts on File, 2011

Synopsis

Encyclopedia of Pollution is a new, two-volume color set designed to address all aspects of pollution and the global impact on the environment in a single source. Containing more than 300 entries and essays interspersed throughout, it uses the most current scientific data to explain the different types of pollutants including properties, production, uses, environmental release and fate, adverse health response to exposure, and environmental regulations on human exposure. It provides the scientific background on the water, soil, and air of environments where the pollutants are released. Coverage also includes pollution regulation, the function of federal regulatory agencies and environmental advocacy groups, and the technology and methods to reduce pollution and to remediate existing pollution problems.

Numerous case studies explore the most infamous of pollution events such as the Exxon Valdez oil spill, the Gulf Storm oil well fires, the Chernobyl disaster, Hurricane Katrina, the World Trade Center disaster, and the Love Canal in New York, among many others including those that had great impact on legislation or that were used in popular media such as the films Erin Brockovich and A Civil Action. Biographies are provided of some of the leaders and pioneers of pollution study and activism. Other useful features include a detailed glossary, indexes, a timeline, and tables.

About this title

About the Author

Alexander E. Gates, Ph.D., Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, is currently a professor and the chairman of Earth and environmental sciences at Rutgers University in Newark, New Jersey. He is also the executive director of the Highlands Environmental Research Institute and a Fellow of the Geological Society of America. He has served as president of the National Association of Geoscience Teachers (NE Section) and the Geological Association of New Jersey. He is an expert in many environmental aspects of geosciences, including environmental radon, earthquake activity, acid mine drainage, and soil pollution. He has appeared as an expert in several Discovery Channel documentaries, among others, on topics in geology and commonly appears in newspapers and on television news programs to explain the impact of earthquakes, pollution, and other environmental incidents on the public.

Robert P. Blauvelt is a senior vice president at an environmental consulting firm in northern New Jersey and has worked in the environmental industry for more than 30 years. He has authored numerous articles on the cleanup of soil and groundwater contamination at hazardous and low-level radioactive waste disposal sites.

Reviews

*Starred Review* Issues related to pollution frequently command public attention. Definitive yet accessible, the Encyclopedia of Pollution meets a critical need. This reference source provides essential background material that moves beyond the generalizations of popular culture. Geologist Gates and environmental consultant Blauvelt author 300 alphabetically arranged articles, each several pages in length. Students and general readers will find the language clear and comprehensible. Broad topics encompass all aspects of pollutants, including properties, production, uses, environmental release and fate, regulations, and adverse health effects in response to exposure. Summary entries on general subjects, such as water pollution, provide topical overviews. Case studies of pollution events supply instructive background information. Sample entries include Agriculture and pollution, Carbon dioxide, Environmental regulations overview, Exxon Valdez oil spill, Al Gore, Greenpeace, Offshore oil pollution, Ozone and chlorofluorocarbons, Sudbury mining and air pollution, Three Mile Island, and World Trade Center disaster. Recommendations for further reading follow most entries. In addition to the encyclopedia entries, 12 longer feature essays on topics such as “Golf Courses and Pollution,” “Hurricane Floyd and Hog Waste,” and “The Gulf of New Mexico Dead Zone” give the reader further insight into the consequences of pollution. Approximately 300 excellent color line illustrations and photographs supplement the text. Appendixes include a list of acronyms, a glossary, a list of print and Internet resources, a list of “EPA Drinking Water Standards,” and a 36-page “U.S. National Priorities List (NPL or Superfund Sites),” listed by state. The well-constructed index provides subject access to the contents. The Encyclopedia of Pollution, notable for reliable information on a topic of interest to both undergraduate and lay audiences, merits high recommendation for high-school, public, and academic libraries. --Nancy Cannon

Edition details

• Publisher: Facts on File
• Publication date: 2011
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0816070024
• ISBN 13: 9780816070022
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 977