Book Description

Heavy Metals in the Aquatic Environment contains the proceedings of an international conference held in Nashville, Tennessee in December 1973. This conference is co-sponsored by the International Association on Water Pollution Research, the Sport Fishing Institute, the American Fishing Tackle Manufacturers Association, and Vanderbilt University's Department of Environmental and Water Resources Engineering. Contributors focus on the hazards posed by heavy metals present in the aquatic environment and how to control them. This text consists of 45 chapters divided into eight sections. This book assesses the environmental impact of heavy metals found in the aquatic environment; the economic impact of removing them from waste effluents; and the costs vs. benefits attained by their removal. The social costs are also evaluated. After an introduction to dose-response relationships resulting from human exposure to methylmercury compounds, the discussion turns to the toxicity of cadmium in relation to itai-itai disease; the effects of heavy metals on fish and aquatic organisms; and the analytical methods used for measuring concentrations of methylmercury and other heavy metals. The next sections explore the transport, distribution, and removal of heavy metals, along with regulations, standards, surveillance, and monitoring aimed at addressing the problem. This book will be of interest to planners and policymakers involved in water pollution control.