Metal Contamination in Aquatic Environments: Science and Lateral Management

by Samuel N. Luoma , Philip S. Rainbow

• ISBN13: 9780521860574
• ISBN10: 0521860571
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2008-10-20
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Summary

Metal contamination is one of the most ubiquitous, persistent and complex environmental issues, encompassing legacies of the past (e.g. abandoned mines) as well as impending, but poorly studied, threats (e.g. metallo-nanomaterials). Writing for graduate students, risk assessors and environmental managers, Drs Luoma and Rainbow explain why controversies exist in managing metal contamination and highlight opportunities for policy solutions stemming from the latest advances in the field. They illustrate how the 'lateral' approach offers opportunities in both science and management, making the case that the advanced state of the science now allows bridging of traditional boundaries in the field (e.g. between field observations and laboratory toxicology). The book has a uniquely international and interdisciplinary perspective, integrating geochemistry, biology, ecology, and toxicology, as well as policy and science. It explicitly shows how science ties into today's regulatory structure, identifying opportunities for more effective risk management in the future.

Table of Contents

Introduction

Conceptual underpinnings: science and management

Historical and disciplinary context

Sources and cycles of trace metals

Concentrations and speciation of metals in natural waters

Trace metals in suspended particulates and sediments: concentrations and geochemistry

Trace metal bioaccumulation

Biomonitors

Manifestation of the toxic effects of trace metals: the biological perspective

Toxicity testing

Manifestation of metal effects in nature

Mining and metal contamination: science, controversies and policies

Selenium: dietary exposure, trophic transfer and food web effects

Organometals: tributyl tin and methyl mercury

Hazard rankings and water quality guidelines

Sediment quality guidelines

Harmonizing approaches to managing metal contamination: integrative and weight of evidence approaches

tConclusions: science and policy

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