Publisher Description

This introductory text explains the fundamentals of the chemistry of the natural environment and the effects of mankind's activities on the earth's chemical systems.

• Retains an emphasis on describing how natural geochemical processes operate over a variety of scales in time and space, and how the effects of human perturbation can be measured.
• Topics range from familiar global issues such as atmospheric pollution and its effect on global warming and ozone destruction, to microbiological processes that cause pollution of drinking water deltas.
• Contains sections and information boxes that explain the basic chemistry underpinning the subject covered.
• Each chapter contains a list of further reading on the subject area. Updated case studies.
• No prior chemistry knowledge required.
• Suitable for introductory level courses.

Back Cover

Environmental chemistry is now a key part of many environmental, earth and life science courses. An understanding of the fundamental chemistry implicit in the subject is important, but students must also be familiar with aspects of mineralogy, oceanography, soil science, sedimentology and microbiology, to name just a few of the cross-over areas.

The second edition is fully revised and expanded to provide a concise but thorough introduction to the subject in its widest sense. The book retains an emphasis on describing how natural geochemical processes operate over a variety of scales in time and space, and how the effects of human perturbations can be measured. Topics range from familiar global issues such as atmospheric pollution and its effect on global warming and ozone destruction, the link between chemistry and productivity in the oceans, through contamination of soils by synthetic organic chemicals, to the microbiological processes that cause pollution of drinking water in deltas.

The book contains sections and information boxes that explain the basic chemistry underpinning the subjects covered. These boxes will help students with little or no previous chemical background to enter this fascinating subject.

Flap

Environmental chemistry is now a key part of many environmental, earth and life science courses. An understanding of the fundamental chemistry implicit in the subject is important, but students must also be familiar with aspects of mineralogy, oceanography, soil science, sedimentology and microbiology, to name just a few of the cross-over areas. The second edition is fully revised and expanded to provide a concise but thorough introduction to the subject in its widest sense. The book retains an emphasis on describing how natural geochemical processes operate over a variety of scales in time and space, and how the effects of human perturbations can be measured. Topics range from familiar global issues such as atmospheric pollution and its effect on global warming and ozone destruction, the link between chemistry and productivity in the oceans, through contamination of soils by synthetic organic chemicals, to the microbiological processes that cause pollution of drinking water in deltas. The book contains sections and information boxes that explain the basic chemistry underpinning the subjects covered. These boxes will help students with little or no previous chemical background to enter this fascinating subject.

Author Biography

J.E. Andrews, P. Brimblecombe, T.D. Jickells, P.S. Liss and B. Reid are all based in the School of Environmental Sciences at the University of East Anglia. They have many years experience in teaching environmental chemistry to undergraduates and are internationally respected researchers in their fields.

Table of Contents

List of boxes ixPreface to the second edition xiPreface to the first edition xiiAcknowledgements xivSymbols and abbreviations xviii1 Introduction 11.1 What is environmental chemistry? 11.2 In the beginning 21.3 Origin and evolution of the Earth 21.3.1 Formation of the crust and atmosphere 41.3.2 The hydrosphere 51.3.3 The origin of life and evolution of the atmosphere 81.4 Human effects on biogeochemical cycles? 91.5 The structure of this book 111.6 Internet keywords 121.7 Further reading 131.8 Internet search keywords 132 Environmental chemist's toolbox 142.1 About this chapter 142.2 Order in the elements? 142.3 Bonding 192.3.1 Covalent bonds 192.3.2 Ionic bonding, ions and ionic solids 202.4 Using chemical equations 212.5 Describing amounts of substances: the mole 222.6 Concentration and activity 222.7 Organic molecules – structure and chemistry 232.7.1 Functional groups 252.7.2 Representing organic matter in simple equations 262.8 Radioactivity of elements 272.9 Finding more chemical tools in this book 292.10 Further reading 302.11 Internet search keywords 303 The atmosphere 313.1 Introduction 313.2 Composition of the atmosphere 323.3 Steady state or equilibrium? 353.4 Natural sources 383.4.1 Geochemical sources 393.4.2 Biological sources 413.5 Reactivity of trace substances in the atmosphere 443.6 The urban atmosphere 453.6.1 London smog – primary pollution 463.6.2 Los Angeles smog – secondary pollution 483.6.3 21st-century particulate pollution 523.7 Air pollution and health 533.8 Effects of air pollution 553.9 Removal processes 563.10 Chemistry of the stratosphere 583.10.1 Stratospheric ozone formation and destruction 593.10.2 Ozone destruction by halogenated species 613.10.3 Saving the ozone layer 633.11 Further reading 643.12 Internet search keywords 654 The chemistry of continental solids 664.1 The terrestrial environment, crust and material cycling 664.2 The structure of silicate minerals 704.2.1 Coordination of ions and the radius ratio rule 704.2.2 The construction of silicate minerals 734.2.3 Structural organization in silicate minerals 734.3 Weathering processes 764.4 Mechanisms of chemical weathering 774.4.1 Dissolution 774.4.2 Oxidation 774.4.3 Acid hydrolysis 834.4.4 Weathering of complex silicate minerals 844.5 Clay minerals 874.5.1 One to one clay mineral structure 884.5.2 Two to one clay mineral structure 884.6 Formation of soils 934.6.1 Parent (bedrock) material (p) 944.6.2 Climate (cl) 944.6.3 Relief (r) 974.6.4 Vegetation (v) 994.6.5 Influence of organisms (o) 994.7 Wider controls on soil and clay mineral formation 1044.8 Ion exchange and soil pH 1114.9 Soil structure and classification 1124.9.1 Soils with argillic horizons 1134.9.2 Spodosols (podzols) 1134.9.3 Soils with gley horizons 1174.10 Contaminated land 1194.10.1 Organic contaminants in soils 1194.10.2 Degradation of organic contaminants in soils 1254.10.3 Remediation of contaminated land 1294.10.4 Phytoremediation 1374.11 Further reading 1394.12 Internet search keywords 1405 The chemistry of continental waters 1415.1 Introduction 1415.2 Element chemistry 1425.3 Water chemistry and weathering regimes 1455.3.1 Alkalinity, dissolved inorganic carbon and pH buffering 1515.4 Aluminium solubility and acidity 1555.4.1 Acidification from atmospheric inputs 1565.4.2 Acid mine drainage 1565.4.3 Recognizing acidification from sulphate data – ternary diagrams 1595.5 Biological processes 1615.5.1 Nutrients and eutrophication 1635.6 Heavy metal contamination 1705.6.1 Mercury contamination from gold mining 1705.7 Contamination of groundwater 1745.7.1 Anthropogenic contamination of groundwater 1765.7.2 Natural arsenic contamination of groundwater 1785.8 Further reading 1805.9 Internet search keywords 1806 The oceans 1816.1 Introduction 1816.2 Estuarine processes 1826.2.1 Aggregation of colloidal material in estuaries 1836.2.2 Mixing processes in estuaries 1846.2.3 Halmyrolysis and ion exchange in estuaries 1866.2.4 Microbiological activity in estuaries 1876.3 Major ion chemistry of seawater 1896.4 Chemical cycling of major ions 1916.4.1 Sea-to-air fluxes 1946.4.2 Evaporites 1946.4.3 Cation exchange 1956.4.4 Calcium carbonate formation 1966.4.5 Opaline silica 2056.4.6 Sulphides 2066.4.7 Hydrothermal processes 2086.4.8 The potassium problem: balancing the seawater major ion budget 2146.5 Minor chemical components in seawater 2166.5.1 Dissolved gases 2166.5.2 Dissolved ions 2166.5.3 Conservative behaviour 2186.5.4 Nutrient-like behaviour 2186.5.5 Scavenged behaviour 2236.6 The role of iron as a nutrient in the oceans 2276.7 Ocean circulation and its effects on trace element distribution 2296.8 Anthropogenic effects on ocean chemistry 2336.8.1 Human effects on regional seas 1: the Baltic 2336.8.2 Human effects on regional seas 2: the Gulf of Mexico 2356.8.3 Human effects on total ocean minor element budgets? 2356.9 Further reading 2376.10 Internet search keywords 2387 Global change 2397.1 Why study global-scale environmental chemistry? 2397.2 The carbon cycle 2407.2.1 The atmospheric record 2407.2.2 Natural and anthropogenic sources and sinks 2427.2.3 The global budget of natural and anthropogenic carbon dioxide 2517.2.4 The effects of elevated carbon dioxide levels on global temperature and other properties 2577.3 The sulphur cycle 2627.3.1 The global sulphur cycle and anthropogenic effects 2627.3.2 The sulphur cycle and atmospheric acidity 2657.3.3 The sulphur cycle and climate 2717.4 Persistent organic pollutants 2747.4.1 Persistent organic pollutant mobility in the atmosphere 2747.4.2 Global persistent organic pollutant equilibrium 2787.5 Further reading 2817.6 Internet search keywords 281Index 283Colour plates fall between pp. 138 and 139.

Review

"I can strongly recommend this book as a basic text for all those who wish to gain an initial understanding of the chemistry of the Earth and the way humans are interacting with their environment."
Peter O'Neill, University of Plymouth, Progress in Physical Geography, June 2005
"Overall, this book is a valuable addition to reading lists for students taking undergraduate level courses primarily in Environmental Science, but also in Physical Geography, Earth Sciences and Environmental Chemistry. It is very readable and well written."
International Journal of Climatology, April 2006
"If I had to recommend one single textbook for courses in environmental science to students and all those interested from other fields, it would be this one. It is an excellent introductory reader and learning aid."
Environmental Biology

Long Description

Environmental chemistry is now a key part of many environmental, earth and life science courses. An understanding of the fundamental chemistry implicit in the subject is important, but students must also be familiar with aspects of mineralogy, oceanography, soil science, sedimentology and microbiology, to name just a few of the cross-over areas. The second edition is fully revised and expanded to provide a concise but thorough introduction to the subject in its widest sense. The book retains an emphasis on describing how natural geochemical processes operate over a variety of scales in time and space, and how the effects of human perturbations can be measured. Topics range from familiar global issues such as atmospheric pollution and its effect on global warming and ozone destruction, the link between chemistry and productivity in the oceans, through contamination of soils by synthetic organic chemicals, to the microbiological processes that cause pollution of drinking water in deltas. The book contains sections and information boxes that explain the basic chemistry underpinning the subjects covered. These boxes will help students with little or no previous chemical background to enter this fascinating subject.

Review Text

"I can strongly recommend this book as a basic text for all those who wish to gain an initial understanding of the chemistry of the Earth and the way humans are interacting with their environment."
Peter O'Neill, University of Plymouth, Progress in Physical Geography, June 2005
"Overall, this book is a valuable addition to reading lists for students taking undergraduate level courses primarily in Environmental Science, but also in Physical Geography, Earth Sciences and Environmental Chemistry. It is very readable and well written."
International Journal of Climatology, April 2006
"If I had to recommend one single textbook for courses in environmental science to students and all those interested from other fields, it would be this one. It is an excellent introductory reader and learning aid."
Environmental Biology

Review Quote

"I can strongly recommend this book as a basic text for all those who wish to gain an initial understanding of the chemistry of the Earth and the way humans are interacting with their environment." Peter O'Neill, University of Plymouth, Progress in Physical Geography, June 2005

Feature

• 
  
• Retains an emphasis on describing how natural geochemical processes operate over a variety of scales in time and space, and how the effects of human perturbation can be measured.
  
• Topics range from familiar global issues such as atmospheric pollution and its effect on global warming and ozone destruction, to microbiological processes that cause pollution of drinking water deltas.
  
• Contains sections and information boxes that explain the basic chemistry underpinning the subject covered.
  
• Each chapter contains a list of further reading on the subject area.
  
• Updated case studies.
  
• No prior chemistry knowledge required.
  
• Suitable for introductory level courses.

Details