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The removal of nitrogen compounds from wastewater
Environmental Polllution 86 (1994) 115-116 © 1994 Elsevier Science Limited Printed in Great Britain. All rights reserved ELSEVIER
BOOK REVIEWS
academic institutions because there is not much new in the book. Most of the data used to illustrate the performance of the tests are based on published material and relatively little attention is paid to innovative discussions on new concepts in ecotoxicology. Such discussion are badly needed because the predictive value of most of the tests is still relatively poor. Certainly hazardous properties of chemicals can be recognised but most of the available tests have very little value if it comes to the prediction of effects on real ecosystems. It is announced that Volume 1 will be followed by Volume 2. The latter will focus on the ccotoxicological problems of the chemical toxicants themselves.
Handbook of Ecotoxicology--Volume 1. Edited by Peter Calow. Blackwell Scientific Publications, Oxford, 1993, 478 pp. ISBN 0-632-035730. Price: £79.50. Ecotoxicology has become a popular field of science. This is certainly related to the growing awareness of possible ecological effects of chemicals, There has been a steep increase in the numbers of scientists working in the field over the last decade. First there are those involved in routine testing of chemicals within regulatory frameworks. Another category of considerable size finds a living in the administrative networks in governments, industries and international organisations dealing with ecotoxicological policy issues while using the data produced by the previous category. Finally there is a big population, comprising thousands of scientists world-wide, engaged in scientific work at universities and other independent scientific institutions. Volume 1 of the handbook summarises data on the available test methods. The book is divided into four main parts. The six chapters of part 1 deal with freshwater systems including microbial systems, primary producers (algae and plants), invertebrates, fish, sediments (including sediment species) and multi-species test systems. Marine and estuarine systems are discussed in part 2 with chapters on primary producers, invertebrates, fish, sediments and multi-species systems. A third part covers the terrestrial environment with chapters on invertebrates and micro-organisms, primary producers, arthropods, birds and mammals and the last part summarises some general issues including biodegradation, bioaccumulation, monitoring techniques and a chapter on the design and analysis of concentrationresponse experiments. The chapters give a good coverage of the subjects and are well written by 31 leading experts, most of them from the UK and North America. There are some missing links for instance nothing is said about the use of QSARs in aquatic toxicology. Some more attention should have been paid to the problem of multiple exposures to chemicals and other factors. The general approach in regulating chemicals still is to register chemicals compound by compound as if a particular compound is the only one that matters. Most of the test systems described in the book reflect this approach. As is stated in the preface the handbook is intended for practitioners like people working in commercial testing services and commercial and regulatory settings. For such people it is certainly a helpful book because much practical information is provided on the available test systems, the selection of species and end points and test performance. There is less reason to recommend the book to scientists working in university laboratories and other
Jan H. Koeman
The Removal of Nitrogen Compoundsj?om Wastewater. Edited by B. Halling-Sorenson & S. E. Jorgensen, Elsevier Science Publishers, Amsterdam, 1993, 456 pp. Price Dfl. 395.00. The book forms Volume 54 of the Elsevier series in Environmental Science and consists of 443 pages of text and diagrams, with a comprehensive list of references. The book is excellent and will be of considerable value to those facing nitrogen species, removal problems in the water industry and also to many scientists and engineers involved in studying the nitrogen cycle. It should be noted that the book is not about treatment hardware design, although the principles are described and compared, but about the biological and physiochemical processes of various removal methods. The contents are divided into three parts covering Nitrogen in the Environment, Biological Removal Processes and Physio-Chemical Removal Processes. Apart from nitrogen compound removal through designed reed bed systems all of the main removal methods are discussed. The first part provides a good basic introduction to the nitrogen cycle with a few indicative loading data. The main forms of treatment are summarised with a very worthwhile table of comparative advantages and disadvantages. In the second part, three chapters are devoted to the principles of nitrification and denification chemistry with the biological controls, and provide a very clear insight. Process equations are presented describing the chemical formulations, energy levels for bacterial activity and rate controls. In the following two chapters, attached growth and suspended-culture reactors are described. For the reactors the development and control of biofilm are discussed, again with good explanation 115
116
Book reviews
of the governing equations. Nitrifying trickling and rotating contractors are considered in terms of application, recent technology developments and modelling methods. A submerged filter case history is given. The same topics are also addressed for activated sludge units related to suspended-culture reactors. In the final part of the book the principal physiochemical processes currently in use are explained. Air stripping, breakpoint chlorination, ion-exchange, membrane processes and precipitation are all dealt with. The hydrochemistry of each process is given
together with some illustrative data and process plant design outlines. Process variables and the relevance of the process application are given in each case. The book is highly recommended and is available through the Elsevier Science Book Review Department, Sara Burgerhartstraat 25, 1055 KV Amsterdam, The Netherlands or Elsevier Science Inc., P.O. Box 945, Madison Square Station, New York, NY 10160-0757, USA. J. W. Lloyd
BOOK REVIEWS
academic institutions because there is not much new in the book. Most of the data used to illustrate the performance of the tests are based on published material and relatively little attention is paid to innovative discussions on new concepts in ecotoxicology. Such discussion are badly needed because the predictive value of most of the tests is still relatively poor. Certainly hazardous properties of chemicals can be recognised but most of the available tests have very little value if it comes to the prediction of effects on real ecosystems. It is announced that Volume 1 will be followed by Volume 2. The latter will focus on the ccotoxicological problems of the chemical toxicants themselves.
Handbook of Ecotoxicology--Volume 1. Edited by Peter Calow. Blackwell Scientific Publications, Oxford, 1993, 478 pp. ISBN 0-632-035730. Price: £79.50. Ecotoxicology has become a popular field of science. This is certainly related to the growing awareness of possible ecological effects of chemicals, There has been a steep increase in the numbers of scientists working in the field over the last decade. First there are those involved in routine testing of chemicals within regulatory frameworks. Another category of considerable size finds a living in the administrative networks in governments, industries and international organisations dealing with ecotoxicological policy issues while using the data produced by the previous category. Finally there is a big population, comprising thousands of scientists world-wide, engaged in scientific work at universities and other independent scientific institutions. Volume 1 of the handbook summarises data on the available test methods. The book is divided into four main parts. The six chapters of part 1 deal with freshwater systems including microbial systems, primary producers (algae and plants), invertebrates, fish, sediments (including sediment species) and multi-species test systems. Marine and estuarine systems are discussed in part 2 with chapters on primary producers, invertebrates, fish, sediments and multi-species systems. A third part covers the terrestrial environment with chapters on invertebrates and micro-organisms, primary producers, arthropods, birds and mammals and the last part summarises some general issues including biodegradation, bioaccumulation, monitoring techniques and a chapter on the design and analysis of concentrationresponse experiments. The chapters give a good coverage of the subjects and are well written by 31 leading experts, most of them from the UK and North America. There are some missing links for instance nothing is said about the use of QSARs in aquatic toxicology. Some more attention should have been paid to the problem of multiple exposures to chemicals and other factors. The general approach in regulating chemicals still is to register chemicals compound by compound as if a particular compound is the only one that matters. Most of the test systems described in the book reflect this approach. As is stated in the preface the handbook is intended for practitioners like people working in commercial testing services and commercial and regulatory settings. For such people it is certainly a helpful book because much practical information is provided on the available test systems, the selection of species and end points and test performance. There is less reason to recommend the book to scientists working in university laboratories and other
Jan H. Koeman
The Removal of Nitrogen Compoundsj?om Wastewater. Edited by B. Halling-Sorenson & S. E. Jorgensen, Elsevier Science Publishers, Amsterdam, 1993, 456 pp. Price Dfl. 395.00. The book forms Volume 54 of the Elsevier series in Environmental Science and consists of 443 pages of text and diagrams, with a comprehensive list of references. The book is excellent and will be of considerable value to those facing nitrogen species, removal problems in the water industry and also to many scientists and engineers involved in studying the nitrogen cycle. It should be noted that the book is not about treatment hardware design, although the principles are described and compared, but about the biological and physiochemical processes of various removal methods. The contents are divided into three parts covering Nitrogen in the Environment, Biological Removal Processes and Physio-Chemical Removal Processes. Apart from nitrogen compound removal through designed reed bed systems all of the main removal methods are discussed. The first part provides a good basic introduction to the nitrogen cycle with a few indicative loading data. The main forms of treatment are summarised with a very worthwhile table of comparative advantages and disadvantages. In the second part, three chapters are devoted to the principles of nitrification and denification chemistry with the biological controls, and provide a very clear insight. Process equations are presented describing the chemical formulations, energy levels for bacterial activity and rate controls. In the following two chapters, attached growth and suspended-culture reactors are described. For the reactors the development and control of biofilm are discussed, again with good explanation 115
116
Book reviews
of the governing equations. Nitrifying trickling and rotating contractors are considered in terms of application, recent technology developments and modelling methods. A submerged filter case history is given. The same topics are also addressed for activated sludge units related to suspended-culture reactors. In the final part of the book the principal physiochemical processes currently in use are explained. Air stripping, breakpoint chlorination, ion-exchange, membrane processes and precipitation are all dealt with. The hydrochemistry of each process is given
together with some illustrative data and process plant design outlines. Process variables and the relevance of the process application are given in each case. The book is highly recommended and is available through the Elsevier Science Book Review Department, Sara Burgerhartstraat 25, 1055 KV Amsterdam, The Netherlands or Elsevier Science Inc., P.O. Box 945, Madison Square Station, New York, NY 10160-0757, USA. J. W. Lloyd