- Email: [email protected]
Metallic effluents of industrial origin in the marine environment
Volume 9 / N u m b e r 6/June 1978
Conference all but three or four were concerned with the treatment of wastewater or its re-use or with administrative processes of controlling pollution. Only one dealt with estuary modelling, and one with the method-
ology of studying estuarine pollution. The trend clearly appears to be away from large regional sewage schemes leading eventually to long marine outfalls.
S. H. JENKINS
Industrial Metal Effluents Metallic Effluents of Industrial Origin in the Marine Environment, Association Europ6nne Oc+anique, EUR 5331, Published by Graham & Trotman Ltd. for the Commission of the European Communities, Luxembourg (1977). 2!6 pp, tables and figures. Price: £15. This study by the European Oceanic Association, a non-profit making organization, was undertaken on contract with EEC for the purpose of making " a contribution to the study of a preventative technology with the aim of arresting the deterioration of the marine environment by limiting and controlling present and future wastes". It will be noted that it was assumed that the marine environment had been significantly damaged and very firm statements to this effect are made without producing much evidence in support. It was decided to concentrate upon chromium, cadmium-zinc and cyano-metal compounds. Mercury was excluded because it was considered that the problems associated with it are "well understood". Lead was the subject of a symposium organized by the Commission of the European Communities in 1972 and it is considered that the precipitation of lead in seawater limits its danger to the bottom living fauna. Arsenic is reserved for a future study. For each of the three groups of pollutants studied, a succinct account is given of the industrial processes by which wastes containing them are derived, production and consumption figures are given and their industrial applications are explained. The technology of waste treatment is well described. There are substantial chapters on origins, forms and characteristics of chromium and zinc and cadmium pollution which are of great practical interest. These are followed by similar but rather less detailed treatment of cyano-metal compounds which, however, includes some quantitative data, for example on residues from electroplating operations, not readily found elsewhere. The chapter on measuring and monitoring systems can be criticized for the brevity of the treatment of some of the more important analytical techniques and the discussion of the philosophy and practice of monitoring is somewhat superficial. There is, however, an attempt to provide some estimates of the costs of both automatic and non-automatic monitoring stations in Europe and
to review the techniques which might be employed. Very wisely the authors conclude this section with the words " o f course, the prices mentioned are only rough estimates and large deviations may occur in practice". The comparative value of such a system of monitoring by fixed stations, contrasted with more detailed examination of specific areas or ecosystems affected by potentially dangerous pollutants, is not discussed. The penultimate chapter on " T h e eco-toxicological risks involved" is the weakest in the manual. It consists, in the main, of a schematic presentation of the ways in which marine organisms may be affected by the pollutants under consideration. Although certain quantitative data are included their derivation is not given. The wisdom of picking on cyano-metal compounds in such a publication as this is placed in doubt by the four brief statements made regarding what is termed the "receptivity" of the marine fauna: two of these are " t h e y are very often rapidly 1rio-degraded" and " t h e lethal range varies between 0.01 and 0.5 m g / l " . One may deduce that the toxic effects of wastes containing these cyano-metal compounds are rarely seen except in the immediate vicinity of the discharge point and this is confirmed in the report. The report concludes with recommendations: this chapter begins by begging the most important question the nature and scale of the effects of pollution on the marine environment. However, the emphasis here is on a preventative treatment of wastes coupled with recovery and recycling of useful elements. This must meet with general agreement but the idea of centralized waste treatment plants for industries situated on or near the coast seems to remove the responsibility for preventing damage from particular industries and to transfer it to the community. This is contrary to the trend of public opinion in many countries which tends to favour the "polluter must p a y " principle. It does, however, enshrine the essential idea that wastes containing potentially harmful and persistent pollutants should be treated before discharge. It is proposed that a pilot-scale centralized treatment " p l a t f o r m " should be established by the Commission for the European Communities. It is also recommended that a regional model for the dispersion and accumulation of the pollutants studied in this report (chromium, cadmium, zinc and cyano-metal compounds) should be established and it is implied that the region selected should be part of the Mediterranean Sea. H. A. COLE -
167
Conference all but three or four were concerned with the treatment of wastewater or its re-use or with administrative processes of controlling pollution. Only one dealt with estuary modelling, and one with the method-
ology of studying estuarine pollution. The trend clearly appears to be away from large regional sewage schemes leading eventually to long marine outfalls.
S. H. JENKINS
Industrial Metal Effluents Metallic Effluents of Industrial Origin in the Marine Environment, Association Europ6nne Oc+anique, EUR 5331, Published by Graham & Trotman Ltd. for the Commission of the European Communities, Luxembourg (1977). 2!6 pp, tables and figures. Price: £15. This study by the European Oceanic Association, a non-profit making organization, was undertaken on contract with EEC for the purpose of making " a contribution to the study of a preventative technology with the aim of arresting the deterioration of the marine environment by limiting and controlling present and future wastes". It will be noted that it was assumed that the marine environment had been significantly damaged and very firm statements to this effect are made without producing much evidence in support. It was decided to concentrate upon chromium, cadmium-zinc and cyano-metal compounds. Mercury was excluded because it was considered that the problems associated with it are "well understood". Lead was the subject of a symposium organized by the Commission of the European Communities in 1972 and it is considered that the precipitation of lead in seawater limits its danger to the bottom living fauna. Arsenic is reserved for a future study. For each of the three groups of pollutants studied, a succinct account is given of the industrial processes by which wastes containing them are derived, production and consumption figures are given and their industrial applications are explained. The technology of waste treatment is well described. There are substantial chapters on origins, forms and characteristics of chromium and zinc and cadmium pollution which are of great practical interest. These are followed by similar but rather less detailed treatment of cyano-metal compounds which, however, includes some quantitative data, for example on residues from electroplating operations, not readily found elsewhere. The chapter on measuring and monitoring systems can be criticized for the brevity of the treatment of some of the more important analytical techniques and the discussion of the philosophy and practice of monitoring is somewhat superficial. There is, however, an attempt to provide some estimates of the costs of both automatic and non-automatic monitoring stations in Europe and
to review the techniques which might be employed. Very wisely the authors conclude this section with the words " o f course, the prices mentioned are only rough estimates and large deviations may occur in practice". The comparative value of such a system of monitoring by fixed stations, contrasted with more detailed examination of specific areas or ecosystems affected by potentially dangerous pollutants, is not discussed. The penultimate chapter on " T h e eco-toxicological risks involved" is the weakest in the manual. It consists, in the main, of a schematic presentation of the ways in which marine organisms may be affected by the pollutants under consideration. Although certain quantitative data are included their derivation is not given. The wisdom of picking on cyano-metal compounds in such a publication as this is placed in doubt by the four brief statements made regarding what is termed the "receptivity" of the marine fauna: two of these are " t h e y are very often rapidly 1rio-degraded" and " t h e lethal range varies between 0.01 and 0.5 m g / l " . One may deduce that the toxic effects of wastes containing these cyano-metal compounds are rarely seen except in the immediate vicinity of the discharge point and this is confirmed in the report. The report concludes with recommendations: this chapter begins by begging the most important question the nature and scale of the effects of pollution on the marine environment. However, the emphasis here is on a preventative treatment of wastes coupled with recovery and recycling of useful elements. This must meet with general agreement but the idea of centralized waste treatment plants for industries situated on or near the coast seems to remove the responsibility for preventing damage from particular industries and to transfer it to the community. This is contrary to the trend of public opinion in many countries which tends to favour the "polluter must p a y " principle. It does, however, enshrine the essential idea that wastes containing potentially harmful and persistent pollutants should be treated before discharge. It is proposed that a pilot-scale centralized treatment " p l a t f o r m " should be established by the Commission for the European Communities. It is also recommended that a regional model for the dispersion and accumulation of the pollutants studied in this report (chromium, cadmium, zinc and cyano-metal compounds) should be established and it is implied that the region selected should be part of the Mediterranean Sea. H. A. COLE -
167