Ecology of Industrial Pollution

Written for researchers and practitioners in environmental pollution, management and ecology, this interdisciplinary account explores the ecological issues associated with industrial pollution to provide a complete picture of this important environmental problem from cause to effect to solution. Bringing together diverse viewpoints from academia and environmental agencies and regulators, the contributors cover such topics as biological resources of mining areas, biomonitoring of freshwater and marine ecosystems and risk assessment of contaminated land in order to explore important questions such as: What are the effects of pollutants on functional ecology and ecosystems? Do current monitoring techniques accurately signal the extent of industrial pollution? Does existing policy provide a coherent and practicable approach? Case studies from throughout the world illustrate major themes and provide valuable insights into the positive and negative effects of industrial pollution, the provision of appropriate monitoring schemes and the design of remediation and restoration strategies.

Lesley C. Batty is a Lecture in Environmental Science at the University of Birmingham, UK. Her research focuses on ecological aspects of industrial pollution, particularly on the use of plants in remediation and the effects of mining activities on the environment. She is a council member of the British Ecological Society and has acted as a consultant to several government agencies and engineering companies within the UK. Kevin B. Hallberg is a Research Fellow in Environmental Microbiology at Bangor University, UK. His research focuses on the microbial ecology of extremophilic microorganisms, particularly the environmentally and industrially useful acidophiles. He has acted as a consultant for international mining companies as well as governmental regulatory agencies including the International Atomic Energy Agency.