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Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the aquatic environment: Sources, fates and biological effects
Book reviews
469
Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in the Aquatic Environment: Sources, Fates and Biological Effects Jerry M. Neff Applied
Science Publishers,
London,
1979, xii+262
pp., j3~0.00
Professor Neff is well known for his studies of the biological effects of aromatic compounds in the aquatic environment and this book is a logical outcome of his interests. However, it covers far more ground than his own published work and the title is a true indication of the contents. There has been a considerable increase of interest in the sources and effects of polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) over the past few years and this book reviews the literature to 1978 in a most comprehensive manner. There are six major chapters plus a short introduction and a concluding summary. The three chapters on Sources, Distribution and Degradation of PAH in the aquatic environment are particularly informative both for new workers and for those already established in this field. One reason for this may be the unusually wide coverage of non-English-language publications which comprise 15% of the references cited. A weakness is the direct quotation of values as published without changing the units of measurement to a single consistent set. Although this is understandable, the book is not easy reading anyway and it makes comprehension that bit more difficult. There is also a tendency to list rather than review information in places, and there is a lack of questioning of some published statements, particularly the PAH levels given in earlier papers. For this reason, although the book should remain a standard text for many years, the reader would be well advised to consult the most recent literature to resolve some of the contradictions present in it. The book is clearly printed and produced to a high standard, and is free of major errors. T. P. ABBISS
Pollution
Ecology of Estuarine Invertebrates
Edited by C. W. Hart, Jr. and S. L. H. Fuller Academic
Press, New York, 1979,406
pp., A16.60.
This book is a compilation, by taxonomic groups, of what is known of the ‘normal’ ecology of estuarine invertebrates, their taxonomy and identification, and their pollution ecology. The coverage of taxonomic groups is not comprehensive: the editors admit that they could not find experts willing to commit themselves for certain groups, whereas other commercially exploited species such as oysters already have an extensive literature of their own. Nerertheless, most important taxa are treated: nematodes, bryozoans, polychaetes, ostracods, copepods, crabs, shrimps, larval decapods, isopods (including a separate chapter on Cyathura), amphipods, clams and snails. Clearly the editors have attempted to standardize the contributions of each author as far as possible, but the treatment of each taxonomic group is still quite varied. This partly reflects the state of the art in pollution ecology for each group, and obviously also the personal interests of the authors. On the one hand there are chapters which deal almost entirely with the effects of specific pollutants (petroleum, pesticides, heavy metals etc.) on organisms
469
Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in the Aquatic Environment: Sources, Fates and Biological Effects Jerry M. Neff Applied
Science Publishers,
London,
1979, xii+262
pp., j3~0.00
Professor Neff is well known for his studies of the biological effects of aromatic compounds in the aquatic environment and this book is a logical outcome of his interests. However, it covers far more ground than his own published work and the title is a true indication of the contents. There has been a considerable increase of interest in the sources and effects of polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) over the past few years and this book reviews the literature to 1978 in a most comprehensive manner. There are six major chapters plus a short introduction and a concluding summary. The three chapters on Sources, Distribution and Degradation of PAH in the aquatic environment are particularly informative both for new workers and for those already established in this field. One reason for this may be the unusually wide coverage of non-English-language publications which comprise 15% of the references cited. A weakness is the direct quotation of values as published without changing the units of measurement to a single consistent set. Although this is understandable, the book is not easy reading anyway and it makes comprehension that bit more difficult. There is also a tendency to list rather than review information in places, and there is a lack of questioning of some published statements, particularly the PAH levels given in earlier papers. For this reason, although the book should remain a standard text for many years, the reader would be well advised to consult the most recent literature to resolve some of the contradictions present in it. The book is clearly printed and produced to a high standard, and is free of major errors. T. P. ABBISS
Pollution
Ecology of Estuarine Invertebrates
Edited by C. W. Hart, Jr. and S. L. H. Fuller Academic
Press, New York, 1979,406
pp., A16.60.
This book is a compilation, by taxonomic groups, of what is known of the ‘normal’ ecology of estuarine invertebrates, their taxonomy and identification, and their pollution ecology. The coverage of taxonomic groups is not comprehensive: the editors admit that they could not find experts willing to commit themselves for certain groups, whereas other commercially exploited species such as oysters already have an extensive literature of their own. Nerertheless, most important taxa are treated: nematodes, bryozoans, polychaetes, ostracods, copepods, crabs, shrimps, larval decapods, isopods (including a separate chapter on Cyathura), amphipods, clams and snails. Clearly the editors have attempted to standardize the contributions of each author as far as possible, but the treatment of each taxonomic group is still quite varied. This partly reflects the state of the art in pollution ecology for each group, and obviously also the personal interests of the authors. On the one hand there are chapters which deal almost entirely with the effects of specific pollutants (petroleum, pesticides, heavy metals etc.) on organisms