0016-7037/87/$3.00 + .OO
I, p.
Geochimiaz et Cosmochimica Acta Vol. 5 383 0 PergamonJoumals Ltd. 1987.Printiin U.S.A.
BOOK REVIEWS
Biological Monitoring of Environmental Contaminants (Plants), by M. A. S. Burton. Monitoring and Assessment
Research Centre, King’s College London, 1986, 247p., US $30.00. BIOL~CXAL MONITORING is defined as “the measurement of the response of living organisms to changes in their environment”. This book is a discussion of studies relating to the use of plants, both terrestrial and aquatic (freshwater, marine), as biomonitors utilizing change due to the presence of contaminants. This can be accomplished by (I) measuring the concentration of a particular substance in the plant, (2) determining the effects of such contaminants on the plant’s growth or metabolism or, (3) determining changes in species composition, i.e. the presence or absence of the plant in question. The book discusses four main classes of pollutants-metals, organic compounds, gaseous pollutants and radionuclides. A wide variety of plants is included from algae and bryophytes through gymnosperms and angiosperms. Certain approaches have been used. For example, in the terrestrial environment, plants have been shown to provide extensive information on metal contamination, especially mosses and lichens. Most studies here involve concentrations in plants rather than effects upon plant growth and metabolism. In gaseous pollutant monitoring, observed effects provide a majority of information.
Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics of Air PoIIutIon, by John H. Seinfeld. John Wiley & Sons, New York, 1986, 738p., $59.95. THIS ISA well-written, well-organized textbook that gives a comprehensive description of the chemistry and transport of tropospheric pollution. The book includes many tables of extracts from the most recent data compilations and it provides an excellent entry into the current reference literature. The book is divided into six major subject areas, which are each nearly self-contained. The first section consists of two chapters that describe the qualitative nature of tropospheric air pollution and its many effects; a third chapter outlines the sources of the primary pollutants, including an excellent discussion of pollutant formation in combustion systems. The second major section consists of three chapters describing gas-phase, solution-phase, and mass-transfer aspects of atmospheric chemistry. The chemical kinetics rate expressions and approximations are clearly presented, but there is no treatment of theories, or estimation methods for the many chemical reaction rate constants that arc not known and must be guessed. The complex organic chemistry mechanisms of air pollution are presented particularly well. Stratospheric chemistry is also presented briefly. The third major section is an introduction to aerosol chemistry and physics. This section could easily be used in other courses concerned with aerosols and particulate matter, since the fundamentals are presented very clearly. The fourth and fifth major sections describe meteorology,
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As for organic pollutants, both industrial and agricultural in origin, mostly accumulation data is available. This type of data is also what is available for radionuclides. The book also includes much background information related to factors influencing uptake of contaminants and their effects upon plants. Plants serve as an excellent biomonitoring organism. They have a high capacity to accumulate many pollutants which is useful to monitoring programs. Plants also can tolerate high levels of pollutants and often are able to immobilize them in cell walls. Concentrations in plants also reflect concentrations in other environmental compartments as determined by physico-chemical methods. The book correctly points out that the relationship between concentration and effects is a neglected area of research. There is more research needed also at the community and ecosystem level besides at the cellular and sub-cellular levels. The book is well-written with few obvious errors. I highly recommend it to anyone interested in the use of plants in environmental monitoring. It also may be of interest to scientists involved with geochemical exploration using plants. Aquatic Ecology Division National Water Research Institute P. 0. Box 5050 Burlington, Ontario L7R 4A6 Canada
W. A. Glooschenko
the thermal structure of the atmosphere, and macroscopic transport of pollutants. Here, the motivation is to present the basic principles needed to develop and understand air quality models. The last major section is devoted to “Special Topics”: air pollution statistics and “acid rain”. Air pollution statistics are largely concerned with the establishment of and compliance with air quality standards. The chapter on acid rain is used to illustrate how all of the major topics covered in the book combine to describe an exceedingly complex problem that is of great current interest. As a text, this book will be mOStuseful in courses concerned with the chemistry, control, and transport of tropospheric pollutants; also, portions of the book can be used in courses dealing with aerosols. General courses on atmospheric chemistry and physics can profitably use this text, but it must be supplemented by sources that are concerned with high altitude phenomena. The book can also be used by the non-specialist to get an overall view of the present status of air pollution chemistry, since the descriptive sections are well written and they do not require a specialized background. Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Science Space Physics Research Laboratory The University of Michigan Ann Arbor, MI 48019-2143, U.S.A.
John R. Barker
