Advanced Science and Technology for Biological Decontamination of Sites Affected by Chemical and Radiological Nuclear Agents: 75 (NATO Science Series: IV:, 75) - Softcover

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1402055196 ISBN 13: 9781402055195

Publisher: Springer, 2006

Synopsis

Pollution of soils and waters by human activities is an important and widespread problem. This pollution by, organic and inorganic substances can affect individual organisms, human populations, and ecosystems, each in its own unique way. In particular former military installations, often used for weapons production and nuclear power plants represent a ongoing and substantial threat to environment and human health because of the specific pollutants that can be released: Solvents, explosives, fuels, radionuclides, heavy metals, and metalloids all have been identified in the environment around these installations. Remediation technologies for these contaminated sites have been developed based on conventional systems utilising physical and chemical treatments, such as excavation and incineration, pump-and-treat methods, ultraviolet oxidation, soil washing, etc. These approaches are usually very expensive, and can involve the removal of large amounts of soil or water, which often leads to resources depletion and limitation in the future utilisation of the site. Recently, new decontamination approaches, based on living organisms, in particular micro-organisms and plants, have been researched and developed as a more sustainable alternative because they have lower costs, reduced environmental impacts, and increased public acceptance. Development of biological decontamination techniques has been carried out in several laboratories and research institutions worldwide, and practical applications on contaminated sites have been recorded in several countries. In the USA and Canada several commercial companies have been utilizing these approaches for years, alongside conventional techniques, with great success:; a good examples can be found is in the U. S.

About this title

Synopsis

This book presents a comprehensive and integrated approach toward solving the ever growing problem of soil and water contamination by radioactive and chemical wastes from military facilities, weapons industries, and weapons storage. Plant and microbial biotechnology have been proven viable low-cost approaches to monitor, tackle, and solve broad pollution issues. Field trials, macrocosms, microcosms, and laboratory scale experiments are described to explain how to deal with wastes, different in chemical type, concentration, area of concern, and substrates they affect. Description of actual examples of phytoremediation fields, bioremediation plants, and constructed wetlands provide a framework for the application of these techniques to new applications and emphasize the factors that are significant to developing effective treatments.

Edition details

• Publisher: Springer
• Publication date: 2006
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1402055196
• ISBN 13: 9781402055195
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 284
• Editor: Marmiroli Nelson, Samotokin Borys, Marmiroli Marta