Partition and Adsorption of Organic Contaminants in Environmental Systems (PDF)

Given the presence of a wide variety of contaminants in the
environment, it is important to understand what drives a
contaminant from one medium to another, as well as the manner and
extent to which a contaminant associates with the different media
or phases within a local environmental system. Partition and
Adsorption of Organic Contaminants in Environmental Systems
forms a comprehensive resource on the behavioral characteristics of
contaminants so that appropriate strategies can be adopted to
either prevent or minimize their adverse impacts on human welfare
and natural resources.

Cary Chiou's far-reaching text depicts the processes by
which nonionic organic contaminants are sorbed to natural biotic
and abiotic substances. This book focuses on physical principles
and system parameters that affect the contaminant uptake by soil
from water, air, and other media; by fish from water; and by plants
from soil and water. As contaminant uptake by natural organic
substances is often predominantly a partition interaction, the
partition characteristics in several solvent-water model mixtures
are treated in detail to elucidate the relevant physicochemical
parameters. The account of contaminant sorption to soils, fish, and
plants is strengthened by companion chapters on:

* Fundamentals of solution theory

* Interphase partition equations

* Fundamentals of adsorption theory

* Vapor adsorption on mineral and carbonaceous solids

No other single source in the field delivers as compelling a
combination of background understanding and "state-of-the-science"
comprehension of current issues. Ideally suited for a
graduate-level environmental course, Partition and Adsorption
of Organic Contaminants in Environmental Systems also
serves as a technical guide to current and future research in the
field.