The objective of this book is to summarize and critically assess the current status, development trends and needs of three basic defensive elements that safeguard the quality and environmental safety of soil and water/sediments: early warning monitoring, protection and remediation measures, with particular regard to the viability of methods and technologies, i.e. easiness-to-use, reliability, cost-effectiveness, high efficiency and non-destructive character of remediation that is of particular importance considering the scale of application. The priority aim of the book is to contribute to the improving maintenance of ecosystems, and specifically to summarize and add to information on how best to protect our soils and aquifers, prevent migration and mobilization of pollutants and how to enhance their degradation and/or immobilization. Mechanism of action is considered of the first priority, but optimization of technical construction/application details are of no lesser importance. In the permeable reactive barriers, and other preventive/remediation measures, a number of novel integrated physicochemical and biochemical methods are presented. The remediation solutions for soil pollution are focused on non-destructive methods such as phyto- and ecoremediation that would preserve soil properties during and after decontamination.
The contributors to the book are internationally recognized experts, which present both state-of-the art and novel approaches in the above fields that makes the book unique with respect to the scope.
From the contents:1. Introduction: Spread and Distribution of Hazardous Chemicals in Soils and Water ? A Global Problem.- 2. Fate and Behavior of Anthropogenic Pollutants in Soils and Water.- 3. Advances in Chemical and Biological Techniques for Environmental Monitoring and Predicting.- 4. Novel Physico-Chemical Techniques of Soil and Water Protection and Remediation.- 5. Biosystems for Non-Destructive Remediation and Immobilization of Pollutants in Soils, Sediments and Detoxification of Industrial Wastes.- 6. Assembled Plant and Microbial Technologies for Bioremediation of Pollutants.- 7. Management strategies for large-area contaminated sites.- Subject Index.