Published by: Journal of Ultra scientist of physical sciences, Bhopal. 197p.
Pollution prevention, is a way of looking at what causes waste and pollution and then figuring out the best way to reduce the pollution before it is created. Pollution control means avoiding pollution at the source rather than trying to control it afterwards. So to control pollution we have to identify activities or areas in processes where wastes don’t need to be created, such as: where efficiency can be improved; where less-toxic materials can be substituted for more-toxic ones; and where energy, water, or other raw materials can be saved. These are the multifaceted of pollution. Controlling pollution costs money. Traditionally, producers, consumers, and lawmakers have only considered the cost of treating and disposing of pollution. Pollution is not only expensive to treat; it also takes energy and labor to make in the first place! In the long run, it costs less to avoid waste than to dispose of it. Pollution Control and Treatment often moves the pollution from one medium (air, water, and land) to another medium. This is what is known as cross-media transfer of pollutants. The same amount of waste is created, but we are simply moving it from one place in the environment to another. Hence in this context the present book edited by Dr. Ansari is note worthy and add to the volumes books available on pollution aspects. It is unique in the way that it has documented the data’s valuable in India, Malysia, Lebanon, USA and Europe. He has taken efforts to bring out articles from relatively well known scientists of this field to contribute various aspects of pollution from all over the world. It is a worth full attempt.
The book in general covers the various dimension of the pollution and all the papers are presented without figures and maps which is very essential for any studies on pollution because they are all site specifics. Some authors even not bother to give the sampling location and analysis procedures and methodology details. Other wise it is well formatted and collated properly with out flaw and well documented. Th paper is glossy and attractive. The book in total is useful for the scientist working in this field.
First paper deals with the biological integrity of streams in USA. They used various biological and environmental indicators (IBI, QHEI, BCI, etc.,) to delineate the percentage of anthropogenic impact to natural lake and forest systems . The second paper deals with Hazard impact in Malaysia during dry seasons and they delineated the anthropogenic and natural source as well regional and local sources from the size and chemistry of the particulates. Hg pollution and human health has been discussed in the area near Ruschikula estuary of Orissa in the next and they have give the vivid picture due the consumption of fish, plants and animals which has high Hg concentration and impact to people. The next paper deals with the general quality of river and lake water in Lebanon nothing specific has been discussed. Plants as sustainable air pollution abatement agent has been dealt in brief in the next paper. They have discussed the air pollution tolerance limit of these plant species and selected plants on their response to Eco-planning of the industrial area. The next paper deals with the main drinking water source quality i.e. spring water in Lebanon and they found out that they are with in the WHO and EPA limits and has not altered considerably due to agriculture an industrial activities as of now.
The authors use the fuzzy theory to find out the impact of the gas production units, which also produces the low purity gas, which untimely pollute the air in the successive paper. The theory has been applied to minimize the waste gas flow and intern the pollution. It is very god approach and use full to control the pollution. The next paper deals with the baseline survey on metals from various sources and wastewater out fall in NW Florida in the Gulf of Mexico. They found the impact of Zn and Hg compared other metals based on bioconcentration factor. The use of environmental control unit to study indoor air pollution has been dealt in detail here. They have designed a novel instruments to study it for 5-7 days. They have tested the patient’s reaction to different exposure based on the symptoms developed. This is a new method needs to be studied in detail to design our new structures where 1000s of people are going to work in future. The pollution status was assessed based on heavy metal analysis in the surficial sediment in a river from Malaysia in the next paper. They used a usual regular approach to identify the polluted spots .It is well know fact that the increase of green house gas in atmosphere is brought by human activities and which in turn lead to global warming. Keeping this fact in mind authors of the next paper has studies the CH4, CO2 and other green house gases emitted from landfill sites in Malaysia. They estimated these gases for 16 days in various stations and the uncertainties in the result obtained were also discussed. They found out the low conc. of CH4 due to early stage of anaerobic decomposition processes. Hence it is a much needed research helps us to understand the biogeochemical processes occurring in urban dumping.
The next paper deals with the detection of various heavy metals and other chemicals that are discharged by industrial units in the presence of specific plant species. The particular species grows in particular certain chemical at the site of its growth. The next paper deals with the contamination of volatile hydrocarbon in wild black tulip. They have found out various levels of PAHS and VAHS in water and animals. The higher concentrations of VAH in fish are due to higher water pollution in Malaysian lakes and near by water bodies. The next two paper deals with pollution induced changes in Serum proteins in fishes and long term response of photosynthesis capacity and stomotal conductance on plants under elevated CO2 concentrations.
The next paper deals with the role of sediments in overall metabolism of lakes. The nutrient releases from undisturbed and resuspended aerobic and anaerobic cores were studied in the laboratory setup under controlled condition and by changing the parameters like temp. pH. etc. they found of the release of nutrients is closely related to environmental factors and their changes. They established that the combined effects of each parameters are responsible for nutrients release rather than one parameters in various seasons. Such study is very much needed to understand the nutrient cycling and biological productivity. And much work has to be focussed in these lines.
AL. Ramanathan, Associate Professor, SES, JNU, New Delhi
