During this century we have experienced a shift in the leading causes of death from infectious diseases, such as pneumonia and influenza, to chronic diseases, such as heart disease and cancer. Whereas infectious diseases are often related to a single infectious agent, chronic diseases are often related to a combination of environmental (including occupational) chemical exposures and genetic factors. This valuable reference helps the reader to identify these chemical pollutants in environmental matrices such as air, water, food, and soil. It provides improved analytical methods to measure the pollutant, its metabolites, and its various possible adducts in humans. This book presents the latest work designed to assess potential exposure (environmental concentration and activity of pollutants), dose to humans, and a molecular basis for some of the affected biological mechanisms.

Based on the Lectures given during the Eurocourse on `Practical Applications of Quantitative Structure-Activity (QSAR) in Environmental Chemistry and Toxicology' held at the Joint Research Centre Ispra, Italy, June 11--15, 1990

A deeper insight into the complex processes involved in this field, covering the biological, chemical and engineering fundamentals needed to further develop effective methodologies. The book devotes detailed chapters to each of the four main areas of environmental biotechnology -- wastewater treatment, soil treatment, solid waste treatment, and waste gas treatment -- dealing with both the microbiological and process engineering aspects. The result is the combined knowledge contained in the extremely successful volumes 11a through 11c of the "Biotechnology" series in a handy and compact form.

This book provides the technical background and a historical perspective of biotechnology. It examines scientific questions on the assessment of risk for the release of genetically engineered organisms into the environment and describes the role of individuals to foster industrial growth.

Biotechnology offers a `natural' way of addressing environmental problems, ranging from identification of biohazards to bioremediation techniques for industrial, agricultural and municipal effluents and residues. Biotechnology is also a crucial element in the paradigm of `sustainable development'. This collection of 66 papers, by authors from 20 countries spanning 4 continents, addresses many of these issues. The material presented will interest scientists, engineers, and others in industry, government and academia. It incorporates both introductory and advanced aspects of the subject matter, which includes water, air and soil treatment, biosensor and biomonitoring technology, genetic engineering of microorganisms, and policy issues in applying biotechnology to environmental problems. The papers present a variety of aspects ranging from current state-of-the-art research, to examples of applications of these technologies.

Few individuals can be unmoved by the impact of molecular biology. Advances in the discipline over four decades have progressed at a rate unrivalled in other scientific areas. In its formative years, molecular biology examined the chemical and physical structures of biological molecules, subsequently elucidated the nature and function of DNA and evolved into molecular genetics. From this exponential growth of scientific knowledge, tremendous opportunities were created for the application of molecular approaches to solve problems in applied biology. This book describes the new productive association between novel state of-the-art molecular biology and crop protection, a discipline with a sound heritage in traditional applied biology and chemistry. Never before has crop protection faced such diverse challenges. It is charged with improving global food supplies and with the pressure of population increases of one billion in the next decade. But to consider protection of crops simply in terms of weed, pest and disease control would be a gross oversimplification of the mission. Rather, crop protectionists must develop measures which will maintain crop yield and quality without harm to the environment. Chemical, cultural and biological approaches to crop protection must also fulfil evolving legislative demands and address the issues which confer public acceptability.