The Changing Environment

247 Pages·1986·14.1 MB·English

by  James W. Moore (auth.)

Springer Series on Environmental
Management
Robert S. DeSanto, Series Editor
Springer Series on Environmental Management
Robert S. DeSanto, Series Editor
Gradient Modeling: Heavy Metals in Natural Waters:
Resource and Fire Management Applied Monitoring and Impact
Stephen R. Kessell Assessment
1979/432 pp.!J75 illus.!27 tables/cloth James W. Moore
ISBN 0-387-90379-8 S. Ramamoorthy
19841256 pp.!48 illus.!c1oth
Disaster Planning: ISBN 0-387-90885-4
The Preservation of Life and Property
Harold D. Foster Landscape Ecology:
1980/275 pp.!48 illus.!c1oth Theory and Applications
ISBN 0-387-90498-0 Zev Naveh
Arthur S. Lieberman
Air Pollution and Forests: 1984/376 pp.!78 illus.!c1oth
Interactions between Air Contaminants ISBN 0-387-90849-8
and Forest Ecosystems
William H. Smith Organic Chemicals in Natural Waters:
1981/379 pp.!60 illus.!c1oth Applied Monitoring and Impact
ISBN 0-387-90501-4 Assessment
James W. Moore
Environmental Effects S. Ramamoorthy
of Off-Road Vehicles: 19841282 pp.!81 illus.!c1oth
Impacts and Management ISBN 0-387-96034-1
in Arid Regions
R. H. Webb The Hudson River Ecosystem
H.G. Wilshire (Editors) Karin E. Limburg
1983/560 pp.!149 iIlus.!c1oth Mary Ann Moran
ISBN 0-387-90737-8 William H. McDowell
1986/344 pp.!44 iIIus.!c1oth
Natural Hazard Risk Assessment ISBN 0-387-96220-4
and Public Policy:
Anticipating the Unexpected Human System Responses to Disaster:
William J. Petak An Inventory of Sociological Findings
Arthur A. Atkisson Thomas E. Drabek
1982/489 pp.!89 illus.!c1oth 1986/512 pp.!c1oth
ISBN 0-387-90645-2 ISBN 0-387-96323-5
Global Fisheries: The Changing Environment
Perspectives for the '80s James W. Moore
B.l. Rothschild (Editor) 1986/256 pp.!40 illus.!c1oth
1983/approx. 224 pp'!l 1 iIlus.!c1oth ISBN 0-387-96314-6
ISBN 0-387-90772-6
James W. Moore
The Changing
Environment
With 40 Figures
Springer-Verlag
New York Berlin Heidelberg
London Paris Tokyo
James W. Moore
Alberta Environmental Centre
Vegreville, Alberta TOB 4LO
Canada
Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data
Moore, James W., 1947-
The changing environment.
(Springer series on environmental management)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
1. Environmental protection. 2. Environmental
impact analysis. 3. Pollution-Environmental aspects.
4. Environmental policy. I. Title. II. Series.
TD170.M65 1986 363.7 86-13925
ISBN-13: 978-1-4612-9372-9 e-ISBN-13: 978-1-4612-4952-8
DOl: 1011007: 978-1-4612-4952:"8
© 1986 by Springer-Verlag New York Inc.
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The use of general descriptive names, trade names, trademarks, etc. in this
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Act, may accordingly be used freely by anyone.
Media conversion by David Seham Associates, Metuchen, New Jersey
Printed and bound by R.R. Donnelley & Sons, Harrisonburg, Virginia.
987654321
Series Preface
This series is dedicated to serving the growing community of scholars and
practitioners concerned with the principles and applications of
environmental management. Each volume is a thorough treatment of a
specific topic of importance for proper management practices. A
fundamental objective of these books is to help the reader discern and
implement man's stewardship of our environment and the world's
renewable resources. For we must strive to understand the relationship
between man and nature, act to bring harmony to it, and nurture an
environment that is both stable and productive.
These objectives have often eluded us because the pursuit of other
individual and societal goals has diverted us from a course of living in
balance and the environment. At times, therefore, the environmental
manager may have to exert restrictive control, which is usually best applied
to man, not nature. Attempts to alter or harness nature have often failed
or backfired, as exemplified by the results of imprudent use of herbicides,
fertilizers, water, and other agents.
Each book in this series will shed light on the fundamental and applied
aspects of environmental management. It is hoped that each will help solve
a practical and serious environmental problem.
Robert S. DeSanto
East Lyme, Connecticut
Preface
In recent years, a number of national and international organizations have
reviewed global environmental trends. As might be anticipated, some of
the findings are positive, forecasting a general increase in the prosperity
of developed nations. Regrettably, though, life in the poorer nations will
become more precarious than it is now, and so the gap between the rich
and poor will widen toward the end of the century.
The major environmental issues in developed nations are complex but
do not threaten the lives of large numbers of people as they do in poor
countries. The issues are largely the result of the affluent lifestyle. As
such, they can be ultimately managed by a reduction in consumer demand.
In developing countries, the central problems are high population density
and birth rate. Since both are rooted in cultural and other social factors,
they will continue to dominate environmental matters in less developed
countries over at least the short term.
The main purpose of this book is to review major environmental issues
in developed countries and, to a lesser degree, in developing countries.
Topics that are covered include hazardous wastes and resulting ground
water contamination, sulfur and nitrogen emissions and the concomitant
formation of acid rain, lead emissions, new energy technologies, nuclear
energy, and toxic chemicals. Each chapter describes the nature and extent
of the problem, potential health and other toxicologic effects, and remedial
strategies.
Because the text is written for managers, engineers, and scientists with
wide environmental interests, highly specific areas are not covered in de
tail. These include some toxicologic topics, such as pharmacokinetics and
viii Preface
toxic mechanisms, detailed methods of waste treatment and modeling.
Every attempt has been made to give a balanced review of the literature.
However, in order to improve the readability of the book and shorten the
reference lists, the number of citations in the text is relatively low com
pared to what might be found in scientific papers.
I would like to acknowledge the assistance of staff from the Alberta
Environmental Centre in the preparation of this volume. Jim Bradley
proofread the various drafts and provided useful discussions. Mrs. Arhlene
Hrynyk arranged for typing of the drafts and Mr. Terry Zenith was re
sponsible for figure preparation. Finally I would like to acknowledge Dr.
R. S. Weaver (Executive Director, Alberta Environmental Centre) and
Dr. L. E. Lillie (Head, Animal Sciences Wing) for their support during
this project.
Contents
Series Preface v
Preface
VII
1. Introduction I
Major Issues I
Objectives 3
2. Environmental Issues in Less Developed Countries 4
Population Management and Food Supply 4
Desertification 8
Deforestation I I
Extinction of Species 14
Toxic Chemicals 16
3. Environmental Management in Developed Countries 21
Management Styles 21
Environmental Legislation and Regulations 27
Cost of Pollution Abatement 35
Public Attitudes on Environmental Protection 41
4. Hazardous Waste 47
Waste Generation 48
Waste Management 52
Health Effects 62
x Contents
5. Groundwater Contamination 67
Supply and Importance 67
Microbial Contamination 69
Chemical Contamination 70
Environmental Fate Processes 77
Ground Water Protection 81
6. Toxic Substances in Water 90
Drinking Water 91
Chemical Contaminants 91
Risk Assessment 94
Surface Water tol
Surface Water Quality tol
Aquatic Toxicology 104
7. Toxic Particulates in Air 112
Asbestos 113
Occupational Health Effects 113
Environmental Exposure I 17
Ingested Asbestos 118
Lead Emissions 120
Emissions and Environmental Residues 122
Health Effects 127
Regulatory Controls 135
8. New Fossil Fuel Technologies 143
Nonconventional Oil Recovery 146
Coal 161
Carbon Dioxide and Global Warming 172
9. Nuclear Energy 181
Nuclear Generating Industry 183
Nuclear Reactor Safety 184
Waste Treatment and Disposal 188
Environmental Impact 195
Health Risks 196
10. Acid Deposition 203
Sources and Emissions 204
Atomspheric Transformations, Transport, and
Deposition 209
Effects of Acidic Deposition 215
Mitigation and Control 224
Index 235
1
Introduction
Major Issues
Environmental issues can be broken into two general categories-those
based on rapid population growth in developing nations and those based
on consumer demand in the developed nations. In the poorer countries,
the main issues are generally broad in scope, influencing immense numbers
of people, other animal and plant species, and/or vast tracts ofland (Table
1.1). On occasion, these problems result in the loss of many people, high
infant mortality, and unstable social conditions. There will be about 6.35
billion people in the world by the year 2000, up from the 4 billion in 1975
(Hileman, 1982). The poorest countries will experience 90% of this growth
and house 78-80% of the world's population by the year 2000. Growth of
the world's population will slow only marginally from 1.8% in 1975 to
1.7% in 2000. Although food supply is on the increase, the actual per
capita consumption of food in south Asia, the Middle East, and much of
Africa is expected to improve little, if not to decline.
The increasing population of less developed countries and concomitant
need for food puts substantial demands on both renewable and nonre
newable resources. Tropical deforestation and subsequent development
of agricultural lands is projected to cause mass extinction of plant and
animal species. This may not seem important to the world's poorest people,
yet is a major concern to various international organizations. The onset
of desertification, salination, and droughts is generally hard to control.
Although all three processes can be managed by irrigation and other tech-