Book Reviews

METHODS FOR ASSESSING THE EFFECTS OF MIXTURES OF CHEMICALS-Report of IPCS Joint Symposium 6, SCOPE 30 and SGOMSEC 3 edited by: V. B. Vouk, G. C. Butler, A. C. Upton, D. V. Parke, S. C. Asher published by: J. Wiley and Sons, Chichester price; £99.00 ISBN 0 471 911232

PHEROMONES OF SOCIAL BEES, by John B. Free, London: Chapman & Hall 1987. £17.50

THE CONSERVATION OF ECOSYSTEMS AND SPECIES, by Gareth E. Jones, Croom Helm (1987), ISBN 0-7099-1463-6, 277 pp. £27.50 hbk; pbk-not available     

Book Reviews

Toxic Metals and Their Analysis by E. Berman. 304 pp. Heyden: London, 1980. £18.00. ISBN 0 85501 468 7

Environment and the Industrial Society edited by N. Holmes. 247pp. Hodder and Stoughton: London 1976. £2.95. ISBN 0 340 17192 8

Foundations of Food Science by John Hawthorn. 195pp. W.H. Freeman; Oxford 1981. Board ISBN 0-7167-1295-4, £10.00 Paper ISBN 0-1767-1296-2, £4. 95.

Trends in Fish Utilization by J.J. Connell and R. Hardy. A Buckland Foundation book. 103pp. Fishing News Books: Farnham, Surrey. ISBN 0-85238-120-4, £6.00

Seminari internazionali sull'inquinamento marina: held in the University of Genoa 16th May to 27th June 1980. 151pp. edited by N. Della Croce. Published by Instituto Scienze Ambientali Marine, Universita di Genova, 1982.     

Book Reviews

HUMIC SUBSTANCES by G.G. Choudhry. 185 pp. University of Amsterdam Gordon & Breach Science Publishers: New York, London, Paris. $44. ISBN 0-677-06440-3

ENERGY AND CHEMISTRY Edited by R. Thompson. Royal Society of Chemistry, 1981. Special Publication No. 41, 359pp., £11.50, Soft Cover ISBN 0-85186-845-2.

SALT MARSH ECOLOGY Tertiary Level Biology Series by Steven P. Long and Christopher F. Mason. 160 pp. Blackie: Glasgow, 1983. Limp £7.95, Cased £16.95. ISBN 0-216-91439-6 ISBN 0-216-91438-8 Pbk.     

Book Reviews

SOVIET SCIENCE REVIEWS-SECTION B., CHEMISTRY REVIEWS. Edited by M. E. Vol'pin. Volume 5. Organofluorine Chemistry pp 397. Volume 6. Organophosphorous Chemistry pp 442. OPA Ltd., for Harwood Academic Publishers, 1984. $170 each. Hardback. ISBN 3-7186-0139-7 and ISBN 3-7186-0139-7.

CURRENT TOPICS IN CHINESE SCIENCE-SECTION B., CHEMISTRY. Volume 2, pp 572 and Volume 3, pp 563. Gordon and Breach Science Publishers, 1984. $64 and $68 both soft covers. ISBN 0-677-06230-3 and ISBN 0-677-40385-2.

THE EXPORT OF HAZARD. Transnational Corporations and Environmental Control Issues. edited by Jane H. Ives. 229 pp. Routledge and Kegan Paul: Boston, London and Henley. £14.95. ISBN 07102 0072 2

ENVIRONMENTAL CHEMISTRY by Peter O'Neill. 232 pp. Allen and Unwin 1985. ISBN 0-04-551085-7, £20. ISBN 0-04-551086-5 Pbk, £8.95.     

Book Reviews

Oxygen and Life Second BOC Priestley Conference by various editors. The Royal Society of Chemistry: Letchworth, 1981. £11.00 ISBN O 85186 825 8

The Estuarine Ecosystem Tertiary Level Biology Series by D.S. McLusky. 150pp. Blackie: Glasgow, 1981. £6.25 ISBN 0 216 91116 8 Pbk.

Fine Dissection of Ascoglossans by T. Gascoigne. 1980. Pub.: The Author, in conjunction with the Conchological Society. 32 pp. Price £1 post free from T. Gascoigne, 16a York Grove, London SE15, England.     

Book Reviews

Bioaccumulation - What Is Its Value for Risk Assessment? R. Nagel and R. Laskill (Editors): Bioaccumulation in Aquatic Systems - Contributions to the Assessment. Proceedings of an International Workshop, Berlin, 1990, Published 1991 Vch Weinheim, New York, Basel, Cambridge. 239pp. Illus.

Chemical Hazards, R.P.Cote and P.G.Wells (editors): Controlling Chemical Hazards; Fundamentals of the Management of Toxic Chemicals, 1991, publ. Unwin Hyman, London, distributed by Chapman and Hall, 310pp., price £40.00. ISBN 0-04-604002.     

Book Reviews

INTERACTIONS OF PLANT RESISTANCE AND PARASITOIDS AND PREDATORS OF INSECTS by D. J. Boethel and R. D. Eikenbary, Editors. 224 pp. Ellis Horwood Limited 1986. ISBN 0-85312-836-7, £32.50.

ORGANIC TRACE ANALYSIS, by Klaus Beyermann, Translation editor: R. A. Chalmers. Ellis Horwood, Chichester. £35-00. ISBN 0853126380.

CADMIUM IN THE ENVIRONMENT. Part II: Health Effects. Edited by Jerome O. Nriagu. 908p. Wiley-Interscience, New York and Chichester. £85.00. I.S.B.N. 0-471-0554.     

Book Reviews

SOVIET SCIENCE REVIEWS–SECTION B., CHEMISTRY REVIEWS. Edited by M. E. Vol'pin. Volume 5. Organofluorine Chemistry pp 397. Volume 6. Organophosphorous Chemistry pp 442. OPA Ltd., for Harwood Academic Publishers, 1984. $170 each. Hardback. ISBN 3-7186-0139-7 and ISBN 3-7186-0139-7.

CURRENT TOPICS IN CHINESE SCIENCE-SECTION B., CHEMISTRY. Volume 2, pp 572 and Volume 3, pp 563. Gordon and Breach Science Publishers, 1984. $64 and $68 both soft covers. ISBN 0-677-06230-3 and ISBN 0-677-40385-2.

THE EXPORT OF HAZARD. Transnational Corporations and Environmental Control Issues. edited by Jane H. Ives. 229 pp. Routledge and Kegan Paul: Boston, London and Henley. £14.95. ISBN 07102 0072 2

ENVIRONMENTAL CHEMISTRY by Peter O'Neill. 232 pp. Allen and Unwin 1985. ISBN 0-04-551085-7, £20. ISBN 0-04-551086-5 Pbk, £8.95.     

Book Reviews

HUMIC SUBSTANCES by G.G. Choudhry. 185 pp. University of Amsterdam Gordon & Breach Science Publishers: New York, London, Paris. $44. ISBN 0-677-06440-3

ENERGY AND CHEMISTRY Edited by R. Thompson. Royal Society of Chemistry, 1981. Special Publication No. 41, 359pp., £11.50, Soft Cover ISBN 0-85186-845-2.

SALT MARSH ECOLOGY Tertiary Level Biology Series by Steven P. Long and Christopher F. Mason. 160 pp. Blackie: Glasgow, 1983. Limp £7.95, Cased £16.95. ISBN 0-216-91439-6 ISBN 0-216-91438-8 Pbk.     

Book Reviews

D. I. Wilson and A. N. Clarke (1994) Hazardous Waste Site Soil Remediation. 567 Pp. Marcel Dekker Inc., New York (Isbn 0-8247-8980-6), Price £ 108.85.

Symposium Mediterranean Seas 2000, Norberto F.-R. Della Croce (Editor), 489 Pp. Istituto Scienze Ambientali Marine 1993.

Organic Substances in Soil and Water: Natural Constituents and Their Influences On Contaminant Behaviour. Edited By A. J. Beck, K. C. Jones, M. H. B. Hayes and U. Mingelgrin. Published By the Royal Society of Chemistry (Special Publication No. 135), 1993, Isbn 0-85186-635-2, 200pp. Price £55.00

Chemical Fate and Transport in the Environment, H. F. Hemond and E. J. Fechner, Publ. Academic Press Inc., London, 1994. Isbn 0-12-340270-0, 338 Pp., $49.95

Biodegradation and Bioremediation, Alexander, A. (1994) 302 Pp. Academic Press Inc., San Diego, Isbn 0-12-049860-X, £38.00.     

Environmental Monitoring of Fresh Waters

UN (Unesco, WHO and UNEP) WATER QUALITY ASSESSMENTS: A GUIDE to the USE of BIOTA, SEDIMENTS and WATER in ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING, ed. D. Chapman, publ. E. & F.N. Spon, London, ISBN O-419-21600-6, price $ 22.95. pp. xxi + 626, figures and tables; index.

SIMPLE GUIDE ON MANAGEMENT and CONTROL of WASTES, Royal Society of Chemistry, publ. Royal Society of Chemistry, Letchworth, Herts, UK, price $ 9.95, ISBN 0-85404-990-8, pp. xii + 61, 6 figures, 13 tables, index.     

Book review

Environmental Management, (3 Volumes) Editors B. Nath, L. Hens and D. Devuyst (Brussels, Vubpress: 1993. Approx. 890 Pp. Paperback) (£25 Per Volume) Isbn 90 5487 035 4-6

The Chemistry and Deposition of Nitrogen Species in the Troposphere, Editor A. T. Cocks, Publisher Royal Society of Chemistry, 1993, X + 134pp., Isbn 0 85186 355 8, Price £35.00.     

Effect of environmental forcing on the fate of nutrients, dissolved organic matter and heavy metals released by a coastal wastewater pipeline

Discharges of nutrients, urea, dissolved organic matter and heavy metals by a sewage underwater pipeline are analysed in comparison to environmental conditions in a shallow coastal zone. Variable thermo-haline stratifications of the water column and currents in upper (2.62-34.97 cm s^-1) and deeper (0.83-10.91 cm s^-1) layers drive vertical diffusion and lateral transport of wastewaters. Loads of reactive phosphorus (0.13 tons d^-1) and ammonium (1.62 tons d^-1) by the pipeline are not negligible compared to the major river loads in the gulf. High concentrations of urea (≤11.51 μmol N dm^-3) were found in the area of wastewater release. Ammonium uptake (6.14-534 nmol N dm^-3 h^-1) strongly exceeded nitrate uptake (0.19-138 nmol N dm^-3 h^-1), indicating that discharges of ammonium by the pipeline are actively assimilated by plankton community even at low levels of light. Distribution of Zn (≤27.7 ppb), Cu (≤25.6 ppb), Cd (≤0.80 ppb) and Pb (≤13.5 ppb) in the water column and the measurement of their complex-forming capacity in seawater did not indicate a persistent perturbation of the pelagic environment due to heavy metals.     

Book Review

AN ENVIRONMENTAL ODYSSEY: People, Pollution and Politics in the Life of a Practical Scientist. Merril Eisenbud, published University of Washington Press, March 1991, 276 pp., illustrated, indexed. ISBN 0-295-96949-0.

“chemistry, Agriculture and the Environment” (Ed. M.L. Richardson) 546 pages, published by Royal Society of Chemistry, 1991. ISBN 0-85186-228-4 E69.50.     

Dissolved trace-metal concentrations along the Mediterranean Sea, to the north of the Nile Delta Region, Egypt

This work focuses on four marine sites of the Mediterranean Sea, north of the Nile Delta, Egypt. Surface-water samples were collected seasonally during 2003. The aim of this study is to assess the levels of some dissolved trace metals (Fe, Mn, Zn, Cu, and Pb) in two environmental conditions. The metal concentrations in the coastal zone were in the following ranges: 11.92-30.45 μg l^-1 for Fe, 5.79-17.36 μg l^-1 for Mn, 0.87-7.80 μg l^-1 for Zn, 0.40-1.87 μg l^-1 for Cu, and 1.53-10.31 μg l^-1 for Pb. In the sites with continental water input (mixing zone), the metals were scattered in the following ranges: Fe (19.72-60.33 μg l^-1), Mn (12.63-35.60 μg l^-1), Zn (2.67-22.00), Cu (0.83-8.10 μg l^-1), and Pb (1.72-29.7 μg l^-1). The results for the metal concentrations showed a remarkable decrease in the levels of the different metals going from the estuaries and outlets into the coastal sea water. Generally, the levels of the metals in the two zones are higher than the background levels of the unpolluted area. A comparison of the trace-metal levels in the coastal zone of the Mediterranean Sea north of Nile Delta with the minimal risk concentration (reported by water-quality criteria, WQC) showed a significantly lower content at the coastal area of the Mediterranean sea of Egypt. The study also indicated that the impact of anthropogenic inputs was limited in the distribution of the metals, except that the Pb content was slightly higher in the area of the mixing zone than that reported for WQC. The relationships between the different trace-metal concentrations and the other parameters (salinity, chlorophyll a and suspended particulate matter) were discussed, and the simple regressions between them were evaluated.     

A review of: “Waste Treatment and Disposal”

Ed. R. E. Hester and R. M. Harrison, Publ. Royal Society of Chemistry, Cambridge, 1995, Isbn 0-85404-210-5, 158pp. Price £15.00.     

A review of: “Lead in Soil: Recommended Guidelines”

1993 (Ed). B.G. Wixson and B. E. Davies, Publ. Society for Enivronmental Geochemistry and Health, Science and Technology Letters Ltd., Northwood, Uk, 132pp., Isbn 0-905927-39-7, £ 30. Hardback.     

Book reviews

Pollution: Ecology and Biotreatment, S. Mceldowney, D.J. Hardman, S. Waite, Publ. John Wiley and Sons, New York, Usa. Isbn 0-582-08655-8 322 Pp. Uk Price (£19.99) (Soft Covers)

Fish Ecotoxicology and Ecophysiology, Ed. T. Braunbeck, W. Hanke & H. Seger. Proceedings of an International Symposium, Heidelberg, September 1991. 1993. 418 Pages with 204 Figures and 50 Tables. Isbn 3-527-30010-4 £76.00, Vhc Weinheim.

Method in Ecology: Strategies for Conservation. K.S. Shrader-Frechette and E.D. Mccoy (University of South Florida). Cambridge University Press, 1993. Price, £40.00 Isbn 052/41861 5 (Hardbook); £17.95 Isbn 0 521 44693 7 (Paperback)     

Book Reviews

INTERACTIONS OF PLANT RESISTANCE AND PARASITOIDS AND PREDATORS OF INSECTS by D. J. Boethel and R. D. Eikenbary, Editors. 224 pp. Ellis Horwood Limited 1986. ISBN 0-85312-836-7, £32.50.

ORGANIC TRACE ANALYSIS, by Klaus Beyermann, Translation editor: R. A. Chalmers. Ellis Horwood, Chichester. £35-00. ISBN 0853126380.

CADMIUM IN THE ENVIRONMENT. Part II: Health Effects. Edited by Jerome O. Nriagu. 908p. Wiley-Interscience, New York and Chichester. £85.00. I.S.B.N. 0-471-0554.     

Hydrochemistry and dissolved nutrient flux of two small catchment rivers, south-western India

This paper deals with the water chemistry and dissolved nutrient flux of two small mountainous and heavily dammed rivers—Periyar and Chalakudy—of Kerala on the south-west coast of India. The lower reaches of these rivers are affected by sea-water ingression from the Arabian Sea during the non-monsoon season. Human interference through agriculture, urbanization, and industrialization in the lower and middle stretches of the river basins induces marked concentration variations in the hydro-chemical parameters. Except for N & P, all other chemical constituents exhibit high values during the non-monsoon season. Industrial contaminants in specific locations of the Periyar river reduce the pH to lower levels. Nutrients in the two rivers reveal marked seasonal and regional concentration variations. During the monsoon season, dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) predominates over dissolved organic nitrogen (DON), but the reverse trend is observed during the non-monsoon season. The Periyar river shows higher average concentrations of DIN (monsoon 801 μg l^-1 and non-monsoon 292 μg l^-1) than Chalakudy river (monsoon 478 μg l^-1 and non-monsoon 130 μg l^-1). Dissolved inorganic phosphorus (DIP) has lower average values in the monsoon season (Periyar river, 38 μg l^-1; Chalakudy river, 42 μg l^-1) than dissolved organic phosphorus (DOP) values (Periyar river, 107 μg l^-1; Chalakudy, 62 μg l^-1). The rivers show a marked difference in nutrient flux due to its difference in water discharge/basin characteristics and point/non-point sources of contaminants. The flux rates of DIN, DIP, and DOP during the monsoon are higher than during the non-monsoon season, while those of dissolved silicon (DSi), dissolved Fe (DFe), and DON are lower. On average, the Periyar river discharges 4953 t y^-1 of DIN and 1626 t y^-1 of DON to the coastal waters, and the corres-ponding values of the Chalakudy river are 772 t y^-1 and 596 t y^-1. The Periyar and Chalakudy rivers discharge 245 t y^-1 and 70.8 t y^-1 of DIP, respectively. The total flux of DOP is considerably higher (Periyar river 703 t y^-1 and Chalakudy river 101 t y^-1). The discharge of DSi into the Periyar river (40 193 t y^-1) is nearly five times higher than that in the Chalakudy river (8275 t y^-1). The discharges of DFe through the Periyar and Chalakudy rivers are 257 t y^-1 and 36.7 t y^-1, respectively. To sum up, this study addresses the water quality and nutrient flux of two tropical rivers and discusses the impact of urbanization and industrialization on river-water quality.