Toxic Metals Contamination: Generation, Disposal, Treatment and Valuation

Toxic metals are a class of chemical elements that, in certain concentrations, can cause damage to the health of humans and animals, in addition to impacting ecosystems. These metals are emitted to the environment mainly by anthropological sources, such as industries, extractive processes and burning of fossil fuels. This book presents the main sources of toxic metals emission, demonstrate the state of the art of waste disposal and valuation techniques, especially solids and wastewater treatment.

Jeferson Steffanello Piccin is Titular Professor in the University of Passo Fundo (UPF) and his research in the areas of environmental sanitation and separation processes. He has been developing research in the areas of water and effluent treatment contaminated with toxic metals, dyes and other emerging contaminants by unconventional techniques such as adsorption, advanced oxidative processes and membrane separation processes.

Aline Dettmer is Professor in the Graduate Program in Food Science and Technology at the University of Passo Fundo (UPF) and research in the area of chemical engineering. She has been developing research in the area of reuse of waste, production of polymeric films, enzymatic treatment, production of biopolymers, adsorption and biogas.

Natarajan Chandrasekaran is Professor and Director in the Centre for Nanobiotechnology, Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT) and has made several conceptually important and widely cited contributions to the area of nano-biotechnology. His research is focused on biopolymer nanoemulsion, biopolymer nanocomposites, nanoparticles interactions with biological macromolecules and bioremediation of chromium using bacterial biofilms.