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Aquatic Chemistry
Book Reviews its content but because of its refreshing style. I wish the other contributions to the book were as readable. Overall, I found this an unsatisfactory book although many freshwater ecologists viii probably find something in it of interest. I do not recommend it for personal purchase but it could be usefully acquired by institutional libraries ~ herever a substantial interest in freshwater ecology exists. M. A. LEARNER
Industrialised Embayments and their Environmental Problems. A Case Study of Swansea Bay, edited by M. B. Collins. F. T. Banner, P. A. Tyler, S. J. Wakefield and A. E. James. Pergamon Press, Oxford. 1980, 616 pp., £33.50.
S3"r
Aquatic Chemistry. by W. S t u m m and J. J. Morgan. Wiley. New York. 2nd Edition. 1981, -S0 pp.. £35.25 ihardbackL £18.65. The first edition of this book. subtitled ' A n introduction emphasizing chemical equilibria in natural ~aters". appeared in 1971. It immediately established itself as an authoritative text ~hich did more than an~ other to nurture a new branch of academic study. This branch blossomed profusely during the 1970s and has generated more fruits of wisdom to be incorporated in the re~ised 1981 edition. The length of the book has increased from 583 to 780 pages, largely because of the inclusion of t~o ne~ chapters on organic c o m p o u n d s in natural waters and an assessmen, of water pollution problems and their control. Sections on marine chemistry,, kinetic considerations, the solid:solution interface, metal ligand interactions and the use of stable and radioactive isotopes in the study of processes in natural waters have either been expanded or introduced. The chapter on organic compounds, though brief, gives an original presentation of the chemistry of organic carbon in natural waters without the usual emphasis on toxicity and bioaccumulation of pesticides and related compounds. The chapter on water pollution control is a more radical departure from the concepts of the first edition, but because it is tackled from first principles it presents a fresh and stimulating approach to the subject which prevents it from resembling a token gesture towards political and economic issues, The main topics covered are the effects of h u m a n populations on water quality, water quality' criteria. eutrophication, ecotoxicology and atmospheric dispersion of metals and gases ( C O , , SO_,. NOz, from fuel-burning and industrial activity) and their effects on x~aters. The structure of most of the chapters is similar to those in the first edition. The most revised is the long chapter introducing the principles of chemical thermodynamics, illustrated by examples of relevance to reactions in natural waters, and expanded by greater emphasis on kinetics. This is followed by chapters on acids and bases, dissolved carbon dioxide and solubility and precipitation. Next there is a long chapter on the complexation of metals in natural waters which wits probably the most influential section of the first edition. The remaining chapters [except for the new ones already referred toj deal with oxidation and reduction, processes controlling the chemical composition of natural waters and reactions of the solid solution interface. The revision and updating ensure that the book ~ill remain pre-eminent in its field. ,",lost tirst edition copies will by now be showing signs of heavy use. If an.~ criticism should be levelled at the book it is the lack of a comprehensive introduction which could do more to caution against the cavalier use of the concepts so successfull? propounded in later chapters. This can lead to false con,,donee in conclusions based on the use of incomplete or inaccucate data, for example in situations which are inappropriate because the system does not approach equilibrium or its composition is only partiaI[y known.
As indicated by its sub-title, this volume is a case study of a specific near-shore marine environment, rather than an overall review of the environmental problems associated with industrialised embayments. It is a substantial publication, arising from a s y m p o s i u m held at University College, Swansea, in September, 1979, presented in the form of 37 papers together with material from discussion sessions, and one appendix. Following accounts of the geological evolution. geomorphological setting, archaeological and historical influences, there is a sequence of papers divided about equally between the physical oceanographic, sedimentological, chemical and biological aspects; the voh, me coneludes with several contributions on economic aspects. Swansea Bay is a fairly shallow bay, with an unusually large tidal range, receiving freshwater inputs from five rivers. The bay is bounded to the west by the non-industrial,sod Gower Peninsula, but the city of Swansea, a major port, and the coastal region to the east, are urbanised with extensive industrial developments. Some areas inland also have a legacy of earlier industry in the form of wastes left by old mining and smelting activities. As a result of the indt.strial and urban development (the catchment area of the bay hlis a population of about half a million people) a wide range of effluents enters the bay, including m a n y sewage discharges which are untreated or only partially treated; sludge d u m p i n g also occurs. The region therefore presents many of the problems relevant to the m a n a g e m e n t of industrial,sod e m b a y m e n t s generally and as it result of the existence of several dedicated groups with interest in and access to the area, a considerable a m o u n t of research has been undertaken into the processes occurring in the bay and into specific aspects of the effects of past and present urban and industrial development. There has by now been a considerable n u m b e r of accounts of particular near-shore regions, especially estuaries. They vary considerably in emphasis, from detailed presentations of original findings to reviews and syntheses of such work. The present volume, representing the efforts of over 50 contributors, leans towards the former approach, although many of the papers provide useful reviews. The material gives an excellent idea of the impressive range of the studies which have been undertaken on the region. It is not possible at reasonable length to give a balanced assessment of so many individual contriJ. GARI)INER butions. The editors are, however, to be congratulated on having assembled much useful material effectively and promptly, and the publishers likewise c o m m e n d e d for the speed v, ith ;vhich a well-produced book was off the press. New Concepts and Practices in Activated Sludge Process The volume ~ill certainly be an essential reference work Control, by Robert M. Arthur. Arthur Technology and for all future workers on this area. Many contributions are, Ann Arbor Science, Ann Arbor. ,'vii, 1982, 125 pp. however, of much more general interest for those concerned with scientific and managerial problems in near- The ideas and concepts presented in this book are based on the following observations made by the author in his shore environments and the book deserves wide attention. study and experimentation with activated sludge systems. (I) To understand the activated sludge process, it must be recognized that activated sludge is a living system and, J. D. BURTON
Industrialised Embayments and their Environmental Problems. A Case Study of Swansea Bay, edited by M. B. Collins. F. T. Banner, P. A. Tyler, S. J. Wakefield and A. E. James. Pergamon Press, Oxford. 1980, 616 pp., £33.50.
S3"r
Aquatic Chemistry. by W. S t u m m and J. J. Morgan. Wiley. New York. 2nd Edition. 1981, -S0 pp.. £35.25 ihardbackL £18.65. The first edition of this book. subtitled ' A n introduction emphasizing chemical equilibria in natural ~aters". appeared in 1971. It immediately established itself as an authoritative text ~hich did more than an~ other to nurture a new branch of academic study. This branch blossomed profusely during the 1970s and has generated more fruits of wisdom to be incorporated in the re~ised 1981 edition. The length of the book has increased from 583 to 780 pages, largely because of the inclusion of t~o ne~ chapters on organic c o m p o u n d s in natural waters and an assessmen, of water pollution problems and their control. Sections on marine chemistry,, kinetic considerations, the solid:solution interface, metal ligand interactions and the use of stable and radioactive isotopes in the study of processes in natural waters have either been expanded or introduced. The chapter on organic compounds, though brief, gives an original presentation of the chemistry of organic carbon in natural waters without the usual emphasis on toxicity and bioaccumulation of pesticides and related compounds. The chapter on water pollution control is a more radical departure from the concepts of the first edition, but because it is tackled from first principles it presents a fresh and stimulating approach to the subject which prevents it from resembling a token gesture towards political and economic issues, The main topics covered are the effects of h u m a n populations on water quality, water quality' criteria. eutrophication, ecotoxicology and atmospheric dispersion of metals and gases ( C O , , SO_,. NOz, from fuel-burning and industrial activity) and their effects on x~aters. The structure of most of the chapters is similar to those in the first edition. The most revised is the long chapter introducing the principles of chemical thermodynamics, illustrated by examples of relevance to reactions in natural waters, and expanded by greater emphasis on kinetics. This is followed by chapters on acids and bases, dissolved carbon dioxide and solubility and precipitation. Next there is a long chapter on the complexation of metals in natural waters which wits probably the most influential section of the first edition. The remaining chapters [except for the new ones already referred toj deal with oxidation and reduction, processes controlling the chemical composition of natural waters and reactions of the solid solution interface. The revision and updating ensure that the book ~ill remain pre-eminent in its field. ,",lost tirst edition copies will by now be showing signs of heavy use. If an.~ criticism should be levelled at the book it is the lack of a comprehensive introduction which could do more to caution against the cavalier use of the concepts so successfull? propounded in later chapters. This can lead to false con,,donee in conclusions based on the use of incomplete or inaccucate data, for example in situations which are inappropriate because the system does not approach equilibrium or its composition is only partiaI[y known.
As indicated by its sub-title, this volume is a case study of a specific near-shore marine environment, rather than an overall review of the environmental problems associated with industrialised embayments. It is a substantial publication, arising from a s y m p o s i u m held at University College, Swansea, in September, 1979, presented in the form of 37 papers together with material from discussion sessions, and one appendix. Following accounts of the geological evolution. geomorphological setting, archaeological and historical influences, there is a sequence of papers divided about equally between the physical oceanographic, sedimentological, chemical and biological aspects; the voh, me coneludes with several contributions on economic aspects. Swansea Bay is a fairly shallow bay, with an unusually large tidal range, receiving freshwater inputs from five rivers. The bay is bounded to the west by the non-industrial,sod Gower Peninsula, but the city of Swansea, a major port, and the coastal region to the east, are urbanised with extensive industrial developments. Some areas inland also have a legacy of earlier industry in the form of wastes left by old mining and smelting activities. As a result of the indt.strial and urban development (the catchment area of the bay hlis a population of about half a million people) a wide range of effluents enters the bay, including m a n y sewage discharges which are untreated or only partially treated; sludge d u m p i n g also occurs. The region therefore presents many of the problems relevant to the m a n a g e m e n t of industrial,sod e m b a y m e n t s generally and as it result of the existence of several dedicated groups with interest in and access to the area, a considerable a m o u n t of research has been undertaken into the processes occurring in the bay and into specific aspects of the effects of past and present urban and industrial development. There has by now been a considerable n u m b e r of accounts of particular near-shore regions, especially estuaries. They vary considerably in emphasis, from detailed presentations of original findings to reviews and syntheses of such work. The present volume, representing the efforts of over 50 contributors, leans towards the former approach, although many of the papers provide useful reviews. The material gives an excellent idea of the impressive range of the studies which have been undertaken on the region. It is not possible at reasonable length to give a balanced assessment of so many individual contriJ. GARI)INER butions. The editors are, however, to be congratulated on having assembled much useful material effectively and promptly, and the publishers likewise c o m m e n d e d for the speed v, ith ;vhich a well-produced book was off the press. New Concepts and Practices in Activated Sludge Process The volume ~ill certainly be an essential reference work Control, by Robert M. Arthur. Arthur Technology and for all future workers on this area. Many contributions are, Ann Arbor Science, Ann Arbor. ,'vii, 1982, 125 pp. however, of much more general interest for those concerned with scientific and managerial problems in near- The ideas and concepts presented in this book are based on the following observations made by the author in his shore environments and the book deserves wide attention. study and experimentation with activated sludge systems. (I) To understand the activated sludge process, it must be recognized that activated sludge is a living system and, J. D. BURTON