Book Description

This encyclopedia is composed of an eight-volume set that provides an overview of the field of environmental analysis. The contents are divided into major content areas including air pollution control, environmental law, and environmental sampling. Thevolumes are organized alphabetically with each article signed by the author(s). The individual articles begin with a summary of the topic heading and then divide the text into subtopics indicated by boldface headings.The articles are written clearly, however, the authors assume a basic knowledge of chemistry and math on the part of the reader. For example, the acid mine drainage article refers to the Arrhenius equation, but does not clarify this statement in the text. Each article contains graphs as well as pictures to illustrate points made in the text. The articles are long and provide a detailed explanation of each topic. The authors also provide a bibliography at the end of each article.Special features of the encyclopedia include a list of contributors, a table of conversion factors and a list of abbreviations and acronyms. The preface outlines the general contents of the encyclopedia. The preface also includes sections that suggest the target audience and recommended usages for the set. The final volume of the set contains an alphabetic index to the topics contained in the volumes.