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River Pollution Control
Book Reviews able amount of work on this subject has been reported in detail in the literature. But this is not the sort of book one would turn to in order to obtain information on hazardous chemicals in water for it deals with the efforts made by the New York Academy of Sciences to come to grips with the wider ethical and scientific issues that are in the public mind as a result of the introduction of new chemicals sometimes without adequate evaluation of their genetic effects. Potentially dangerous chemicals may, through ignorance or lack of foresight even bring additional problems to developing countries. The moral and political issues, as well as the examination of the scientific data, especially information obtained by experimentation on test animals are dealt with in many articles by specialists. Where strong differences of opinion or interpretation of the facts exist, as in the extent to which chemicals should be removed in order to attain a safe level, if that is possible with a hazardous chemical, or in the use of data obtained from tests with animals to forecast the effects of chemicals on man, the views of experts holding contrary opinions are given expression. This not only makes for a lively presentation of views but it also helps politicians and decision-makers not to be led too far in opposite directions by over-enthusiastic experts. Risk benefit analysis is a good example of a subject that produces contrary views which leave the politician with little option but to pursue a middle course in the hope of satisfying most of his constituents. The book makes a number of disturbing disclosures such as the assertion by certain chemical companies of the absence of harmful effects of substances when in point of fact the records of workpeople exposed to the chemicals for long periods were only kept for the most recent 10 years. It is therefore not surprising that some chemical manufacturers have earned a reputation for telling half-truths in order to cover up embarrassing facts which refuse to go away. Industry is trying to adopt a more open attitude towards its problems and this greater frankness comes out in the views expressed by eminent scientists now employed by the large companies in the recorded debates on the prohibition of exposure to harmful substances and on compensation for the victims of such exposure. Even to propound the views of industry has its risks for the scientists: not only can the labourer expect to be worthy of his hire but he also stands the risk, as one scientist found, of being called a "harlot of industry". Water and air pollution were squeezed out of the discussions at this meeting of the New York Academy of Sciences but their places were taken by some very interesting subjects frankly and expertly dealt with.
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the United Kingdom, where the recognition that compliance with discharge standards at all times is impracticable is leading to the framing of discharge conditions which will take this fact into account. Such conditions are especially important in the maintenance and restoration of river water quality. In this connection the protection of drinking water from chemical toxicants which may also affect man through food, air and his occupational environment is a particularly apt subject for an international conference on river pollution control. The protection of international rivers such as the Danube and Rhine draws attention to the importance of collaboration between riparian states as well as to their form unequal progress in pollution control measures. The remarkably detailed monitoring programme which has been a feature of Hungarian pollution control activities with the Danube is matched by the measures taken by West Germany river boards to improve the tributaries of the Rhine: but the Rhine has a long way to go before it will satisfy those who depend on it as a water supply. However, the account given of the steady improvement of the River Trent in the UK over a period of 10-20 years and especially its heavily polluted tributary, the River Tame, now in process of being restored to a good fishery, should be taken as proof that no river is beyond redemption. Monitoring of rivers by chemical and biological means, such as fish, is in regular use to protect water intake quality and development work is in progress which will improve these aids to quality control. The papers dealing with sampling, flow measurement. The time of travel of rivers make a considerable contribution to the understanding of water quality variation in rivers and its significance; such information has a bearing on the reliability of data and the use to which stored, retrievable data can be put. The assessment of water quality and quantity data and, arising from this, the requirement of water of given quality for a variety of uses is the key to national and, perhaps, international policies and it is therefore encouraging to see this important subject well described. Water quality prediction by various mathematical modelling techniques and the optimization of water quality for different stretches of river are only two of other, specialist aspects of river pollution control dealt with in the book. Readers interested in current views on likely developments in broad international issues concerned with rivers pollution control will find in this book clearly presented, authoritative accounts of the most important aspects of the subject. S. H. JENKINS
River Pollution Control edited by M. J. Stiff. Ellis Horwood, July 1980. M 423, £30.00 ISBN 0 853/21834. The subject of this book was dealt with at an international conference held at the Water Research Centre, Stevenage in April 1979. The 26 papers presented form self-contained chapters with an edited discussion and authors' replies. Different approaches to the control of river pollution are discussed. Paying for discharges to rivers according to the impurity load is one method, provided control is also exercised over the water quality of the discharge. Setting receiving water quality objectives is another, not necessarily conflicting method which is favoured because of the flexibility it provides to require appropriate discharge conditions. The 9 member states of the European Economic Community have adopted a directive which, by requiring authorisation for discharges, will protect the aquatic environment from named substances of known toxic effects and also reduce the discharge of other substances which confer undesirable properties on water. The importance of administrative changes in effecting better control of river pollution is illustrated by the unification of all water services in
Tratamiento de Auguas Residuales (Treatment of Wastewater), in Spanish, by G. Rivas-Mijares. Ediciones Vega, 1979. 543 pp. 2nd Edition. This text book, written for graduate students in Latin American Universities attending courses on advanced wastewater treatment, provides the basic principles of physico-chemical and biological processes used in the stabilization of sewage. The application of these processes to the treatment of sewage in tropical areas is dealt with and the effect of the climatic conditions in such regions on the composition of the waste, on design parameters and on operational problems necessitating simplified equipment is discussed in detail. Coefficients used in process design formulae may have to be obtained by bench scale and pilot scale experiment. The methods used in such tests are explained. A feature of the book is the emphasis given to the detailed calculations involved in sizing treatment plant process units from data obtained from laboratory or pilot
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the United Kingdom, where the recognition that compliance with discharge standards at all times is impracticable is leading to the framing of discharge conditions which will take this fact into account. Such conditions are especially important in the maintenance and restoration of river water quality. In this connection the protection of drinking water from chemical toxicants which may also affect man through food, air and his occupational environment is a particularly apt subject for an international conference on river pollution control. The protection of international rivers such as the Danube and Rhine draws attention to the importance of collaboration between riparian states as well as to their form unequal progress in pollution control measures. The remarkably detailed monitoring programme which has been a feature of Hungarian pollution control activities with the Danube is matched by the measures taken by West Germany river boards to improve the tributaries of the Rhine: but the Rhine has a long way to go before it will satisfy those who depend on it as a water supply. However, the account given of the steady improvement of the River Trent in the UK over a period of 10-20 years and especially its heavily polluted tributary, the River Tame, now in process of being restored to a good fishery, should be taken as proof that no river is beyond redemption. Monitoring of rivers by chemical and biological means, such as fish, is in regular use to protect water intake quality and development work is in progress which will improve these aids to quality control. The papers dealing with sampling, flow measurement. The time of travel of rivers make a considerable contribution to the understanding of water quality variation in rivers and its significance; such information has a bearing on the reliability of data and the use to which stored, retrievable data can be put. The assessment of water quality and quantity data and, arising from this, the requirement of water of given quality for a variety of uses is the key to national and, perhaps, international policies and it is therefore encouraging to see this important subject well described. Water quality prediction by various mathematical modelling techniques and the optimization of water quality for different stretches of river are only two of other, specialist aspects of river pollution control dealt with in the book. Readers interested in current views on likely developments in broad international issues concerned with rivers pollution control will find in this book clearly presented, authoritative accounts of the most important aspects of the subject. S. H. JENKINS
River Pollution Control edited by M. J. Stiff. Ellis Horwood, July 1980. M 423, £30.00 ISBN 0 853/21834. The subject of this book was dealt with at an international conference held at the Water Research Centre, Stevenage in April 1979. The 26 papers presented form self-contained chapters with an edited discussion and authors' replies. Different approaches to the control of river pollution are discussed. Paying for discharges to rivers according to the impurity load is one method, provided control is also exercised over the water quality of the discharge. Setting receiving water quality objectives is another, not necessarily conflicting method which is favoured because of the flexibility it provides to require appropriate discharge conditions. The 9 member states of the European Economic Community have adopted a directive which, by requiring authorisation for discharges, will protect the aquatic environment from named substances of known toxic effects and also reduce the discharge of other substances which confer undesirable properties on water. The importance of administrative changes in effecting better control of river pollution is illustrated by the unification of all water services in
Tratamiento de Auguas Residuales (Treatment of Wastewater), in Spanish, by G. Rivas-Mijares. Ediciones Vega, 1979. 543 pp. 2nd Edition. This text book, written for graduate students in Latin American Universities attending courses on advanced wastewater treatment, provides the basic principles of physico-chemical and biological processes used in the stabilization of sewage. The application of these processes to the treatment of sewage in tropical areas is dealt with and the effect of the climatic conditions in such regions on the composition of the waste, on design parameters and on operational problems necessitating simplified equipment is discussed in detail. Coefficients used in process design formulae may have to be obtained by bench scale and pilot scale experiment. The methods used in such tests are explained. A feature of the book is the emphasis given to the detailed calculations involved in sizing treatment plant process units from data obtained from laboratory or pilot