Toxic Contaminants and Ecosystem Health: A Great Lake Focus [Hardcover]

Marlene S. Evans (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 17, 1988 | ISBN-10: 0471855561 | ISBN-13: 978-0471855569

Air Pollutants and their Effects on the Terrestrial Ecosystem Edited by Allan H. Legge Because the sources and interactions are so complex, only an integrated approach to research is effective in identifying pollution problems. This sourcebook collects material from a range of disciplines to explore the effects of pollution on vegetation, soils, and forestry. It draws on the expertise of environmental chemists, physicists, photochemists, agricultural scientists, and others to examine how pollutants affect the ecosystem and interact with each other. 656 pp. (0 471-08312-7) 1986 Cadmium in the Aquatic Environment Edited by Jerome O. Nriagu Here's a comprehensive account of current research on the chemistry and toxicology of cadmium in natural waters. It discusses the sources, distribution, and fate of cadmium in aquatic ecosystems, including coverage of the biocycling and exotoxicity of cadmium to natural and fresh water biota. A succinct review of the analytical chemistry of cadmium in natural waters is also included. The contributors emphasize general principles rather than comprehensive documentation, making this volume accessible to a wide audience. 332 pp. (0 471-85884-6) 1987 Chromium in the Natural and Human Environments Edited by Jerome O. Nriagu and Evert Nieboer There's a growing concern about the fate and effects of chromium in the environment. This volume provides a comprehensive assessment of the uses of chromium, its sources (natural and anthropogenic) and occurrences in the air, water, and soil. Its toxicity to terrestrial and aquatic biota is examined in relation to its chemistry and biochemistry, and the role of chromium as an essential element is properly evaluated. The critical assessment of the published literature and the large ensemble of references to chromium in diverse disciplines should make the volume essential reading for researchers and serious students of environmental and occupational health effects of metals. 592 pp. (0 471-85643-6) 1988

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

Presents papers written as the result of a symposium and workshop sponsored by the American Society of Limnology and Oceanography. American and Canadian contributors examine the effects of toxic substances on the aquatic ecosystem which is the Great Lakes, and offer commentary on the scientific, economic, and political factors which affect pollution of the Lakes. Chapters address three questions: (1) What changes have occurred in the six basic components of the Great Lakes community? (2) What role have toxic substances had in effecting such changes? and (3) How can researchers better investigate the effects of toxic substances on the Great Lakes community? Part 1 of the book covers Great Lakes biota: phytoplankton, zooplankton, benthos, fish, birds and mammals, and humans, and explores the effects of toxic substances on their well-being. The Great Lakes are found to be highly perturbed systems, and previous environmental studies of the Lakes markedly deficient. Part 2 discusses better approaches for investigating the effects of toxic substances on Great Lakes communities.

From the Inside Flap

The presence of toxic substances and their effects on living organisms in the Laurentian Great Lakes region are major concerns of scientists, environmentalists, and the several federal, state, and provincial agencies responsible for the protection of these and other aquatic systems. Based on a 1985 symposium/workshop organized by the International Joint Commission’s Health of Aquatic Communities Task Force and sponsored by the Science Advisory Board of the same organization, this book reports on the effects of persistent toxic substances on the health of Great Lakes biota, discusses better methods of investigating these effects, and offers recommendations for improved research and surveillance design. Toxic Contaminants and Ecosystem Health: A Great Lakes Focus begins with a commentary on the protection of six groups of Great Lakes biota (phytoplankton, zooplankton, benthos, fish, aquatic birds and mammals, and humans), the effects of toxic substances on their well-being, and the problems researchers encountered in understanding such toxic effects. Next, the book discusses a wide range of state-of-the-art techniques for investigating the effects of toxic substances on Great Lakes and other communities. Such techniques include the use of various bioassay methods to assess in situ toxicity; the study of morphological deformities in chironomoids to provide information on spatial and historic gradients in toxicity; mesocosm and modeling studies to provide valuable information on the complex interactive effects of organic loadings, nutrients, hydrocarbons, and metals, new methods for assessing the effects of prenatal toxic exposure on cognitive functioning in humans; and a recommendation for ecosystem-based (in addition to chemically-based) water quality objectives for the Great Lakes. The volume concludes with strong recommendations for a broader-based, more integrative approach for investigating toxic effects on aquatic communities. Toxic Contaminants and Ecosystem Health: A Great Lakes Focus is a thorough summary of the problems encountered in assessing toxic effects, and of the scientific methods that need to be developed to better protect Great Lakes ecosystems against such harmful effects—methods which will have broad application to other aquatic and marine regions of the world.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 602 pages
• Publisher: Wiley-Interscience (March 17, 1988)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0471855561
• ISBN-13: 978-0471855569
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.9 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)