Handbook of Environmental Health

The Handbook of Environmental Health-Pollutant Interactions in Air, Water, and Soil includes Nine Chapters on a variety of topics basically following a standard chapter outline where applicable with the exception of Chapters 8 and 9. The outline is as follows:
1. Background and status
2. Scientific, technological and general information
3. Statement of the problem
4. Potential for intervention
5. Some specific resources
6. Standards, practices, and techniques
7. Modes of surveillance and evaluation
8. Various controls
9. Summary of the chapter
10. Research needs for the future

Chapter 1, Air Quality Management discusses various clean air acts, toxic air pollutants, the various types of pollutants, the composition of the atmosphere, global warming, ozone depletion, various atmospheric regions, air currents and movement, air temperature, inversions, urban and topographic effects, weather, physical properties of gases including various laws, psychometric properties of air, particulate matter, settling velocity of particles, particle retention in lungs, alteration and transportation of particulate matter, bubble concept. It also discusses various regulated air pollutants including nitrogen oxides, sulfur oxides, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, a range of hydrocarbons both aliphatic and aromatic, photochemical oxidants, organic gaseous discharges, simplified reactions in the atmosphere, ozone, methyl bromide, lead, asbestos, beryllium, cadmium, mercury, fluorides, odors. Air pollutants from incinerators, cement kilns, backyard burning, external combustion, internal combustion, attrition, evaporation, incineration, pulp and paper mills, iron and steel mills, petroleum refineries, metallurgical industries, chemical manufacturers, power plants, food and agricultural industries are also included. Air toxics and hazardous air pollutants are of considerable significance. Major source categories of air pollutants are discussed. There is a significant amount of material on disease and injury potential from air pollutants and a discussion of the respiratory system, the eye, systemic effect, digestive system. Economic effects are discussed including problems of visibility, acid deposition, global atmospheric changes. The latest standards, practices and techniques used for all of the air pollutants discussed as well as modes of surveillance and evaluation are in the text. Air pollution controls and state-of-the-art graphics are utilized to better understand how to control various air pollutants.

Chapter 2, Solid and Hazardous Waste Management discusses residential waste, commercial waste, municipal waste, institutional and research laboratory waste, infectious and medical waste, industrial waste, food waste, yard waste, food processing waste, metal waste, paper, plastics, glass, wood, aluminum, chemical waste, rubber, radioactive waste, mining waste, agricultural waste, recreational waste, abandoned automobiles, packaging materials, refuse-derived fuels, heavy metals, toxic releases. It also discusses in detail pollution prevention and waste minimization, municipal solid waste reduction, Hazardous Waste and Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, Emissions Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants, solid waste storage systems, on-site volume reduction systems, central volume reduction systems. Various collections systems, individual, community, industrial, agricultural are included. Sanitary landfills and the attendant problems are discussed in detail. Other concerns include types and properties of solid waste, hydrology and climatology, soils and geology, planning and design of landfills, site selection, types of soils, equipment, converting landfill gas and electricity. Incineration of various types are discussed including air emissions, general design of equipment, residue analysis and, incinerator process water, special waste handling. Composti