The science of environmental pollution PDF
Preview The science of environmental pollution
THE SCIENCE OF ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION S E C O N D E D I T I O N THE SCIENCE OF ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION S E C O N D E D I T I O N F R A N K R . S P E L L M A N Boca Raton London New York CRC Press is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business Cover photo: Taken by Revonna M. Bieber in Vancouver, BC, Canada, 2008. With permission. CRC Press Taylor & Francis Group 6000 Broken Sound Parkway NW, Suite 300 Boca Raton, FL 33487-2742 © 2010 by Taylor and Francis Group, LLC CRC Press is an imprint of Taylor & Francis Group, an Informa business No claim to original U.S. Government works Printed in the United States of America on acid-free paper 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 International Standard Book Number: 978-1-4398-1302-7 (Hardback) This book contains information obtained from authentic and highly regarded sources. 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For permission to photocopy or use material electronically from this work, please access www.copyright. com (http://www.copyright.com/) or contact the Copyright Clearance Center, Inc. (CCC), 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, 978-750-8400. CCC is a not-for-profit organization that provides licenses and registration for a variety of users. For organizations that have been granted a photocopy license by the CCC, a separate system of payment has been arranged. Trademark Notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation without intent to infringe. Library of Congress Cataloging‑in‑Publication Data Spellman, Frank R. The science of environmental pollution / Frank R. Spellman. -- 2nd ed. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-1-4398-1302-7 (alk. paper) 1. Pollution. 2. Environmental sciences. I. Title. TD174.S675 2010 628.5--dc22 2009039100 Visit the Taylor & Francis Web site at http://www.taylorandfrancis.com and the CRC Press Web site at http://www.crcpress.com Dedication For JoAnn Garnett-Chapman (Ultimate Friend) Contents Preface ....................................................................................................................xix Author .................................................................................................................xxiii Part I. Introduction 1 Pollution: What Is It? ........................................................................................3 Introduction .........................................................................................................3 Reality ...........................................................................................................3 Pollution Defined .................................................................................................5 Key Terms .....................................................................................................8 Case Study 1.1. Eau de Paper Mill ..............................................................14 Pollution: Effects Often Easy to See, Feel, Taste, or Smell ..............................15 Case Study 1.2. Toxic Sulfuric Acid ...........................................................16 Preventing Pollution ....................................................................................16 Pollution and Environmental Science/Health ...................................................17 A Different Approach .................................................................................19 Case Study 1.3. Salmon and the Rachel River ............................................20 Environmental Pollution and Technology: The Connection .............................23 Case Study 1.4. Attwater’s Prairie Chicken ................................................26 Environmental Degradation ........................................................................26 Case Study 1.5. The Amish and Lancaster County, Pennsylvania .............27 The Good Life .............................................................................................29 Case Study 1.6. Tragedy of the Commons Revisited ..................................30 Science and Technology Offer Solutions ...........................................................31 The Bottom Line ...............................................................................................32 Discussion Questions .........................................................................................33 References and Recommended Reading ...........................................................34 2 Pollution Science Fundamentals .....................................................................37 Introduction .......................................................................................................37 Biogeochemical Cycles ......................................................................................38 Carbon Cycle ...............................................................................................39 Nitrogen Cycle.............................................................................................41 Phosphorus Cycle ........................................................................................42 Sulfur Cycle ................................................................................................43 Energy Flow through an Ecosystem and the Biosphere ....................................44 Materials Balance .......................................................................................44 Energy Flow in the Biosphere .....................................................................46 Energy Flow in the Ecosystem ....................................................................47 vii viii Contents Units of Measurement .......................................................................................49 Units of Mass ..............................................................................................50 Units of Length ...........................................................................................51 Units of Volume ..........................................................................................51 Units of Temperature...................................................................................52 Units of Pressure .........................................................................................52 Units Often Used in Environmental Pollution Studies ...............................53 Liquids ..................................................................................................53 Gases or Vapors ....................................................................................53 The Bottom Line ...............................................................................................54 Discussion Questions .........................................................................................54 References and Recommended Reading ...........................................................55 3 Global Pollution: The Problem .......................................................................57 Introduction .......................................................................................................58 Global Interdependence .....................................................................................58 Case Study 3.1. Persistent Organic Pollutants .............................................59 Global Meeting on Persistent Organic Pollutants .................................59 Global Pollution Problems: Causal Factors .......................................................60 Frontier Mentality .......................................................................................60 Population Growth ......................................................................................62 Development................................................................................................64 Case Study 3.2. Transnational Corporations and Environmental Pollution ..........................................................64 Development and Soil Degradation ......................................................65 Development and Freshwater Degradation ...........................................65 Development and Atmospheric Air Degradation .................................65 Pollution and Global Environmental Degradation ............................................66 So, What Is the Answer? ...................................................................................67 Discussion Questions .........................................................................................67 References and Recommended Readings ..........................................................68 4 Sources of Pollution .........................................................................................71 A Historical Perspective ....................................................................................71 Introduction .......................................................................................................72 Natural Pollutants ..............................................................................................74 Case Study 4.1. Keeper of the Spring .........................................................77 Case Study 4.2. Leaves in the Stream .........................................................78 Pollutant Terminology .......................................................................................79 Pollutant-Related Terms: Defined ...............................................................80 Soil, Water, and Air Pollution: The Interface ....................................................82 Case Study 4.3. Problem Wastes—Tire Disposal .......................................82 Discussion Questions .........................................................................................83 References and Recommended Reading ...........................................................84 Contents ix Part II. Air 5 Air ......................................................................................................................87 Introduction .......................................................................................................88 All About Air ....................................................................................................88 The Components of Air: Characteristics and Properties ..................................90 Atmospheric Nitrogen .................................................................................90 Physical Properties of Nitrogen ............................................................91 Uses for Nitrogen ..................................................................................92 Nitrogen Oxides ....................................................................................92 Atmospheric Oxygen ...................................................................................92 Physical Properties of Oxygen ..............................................................92 Uses for Oxygen ....................................................................................92 Ozone: Just Another Form of Oxygen ..................................................93 Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide .....................................................................93 Physical Properties of Carbon Dioxide ................................................94 Uses for Carbon Dioxide ......................................................................94 Atmospheric Argon .....................................................................................95 Physical Properties of Argon ................................................................95 Uses for Argon ......................................................................................95 Atmospheric Neon ......................................................................................95 Physical Properties of Neon ..................................................................95 Uses for Neon .......................................................................................95 Atmospheric Helium ...................................................................................96 Physical Properties of Helium ..............................................................96 Atmospheric Krypton .................................................................................97 Physical Properties of Krypton .............................................................97 Uses for Krypton ..................................................................................97 Atmospheric Xenon.....................................................................................97 Physical Properties of Xenon ................................................................97 Uses for Xenon......................................................................................97 Atmospheric Hydrogen ...............................................................................98 Physical Properties of Hydrogen ..........................................................98 Uses for Hydrogen ................................................................................98 Atmospheric Water......................................................................................98 Atmospheric Particulate Matter ..................................................................99 Air for Combustion ..........................................................................................101 Air for Power ...................................................................................................101 Stratification of the Atmosphere ......................................................................102 Physical Properties and Dynamics of Air .......................................................103 Force, Weight, and Mass ...........................................................................104 Pressure .....................................................................................................105 Work and Energy ......................................................................................105 Diffusion and Dispersion ..........................................................................105 Compressibility .........................................................................................106
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