Role of Interfaces in Environmental Protection

The book highlights the colloidal and biocolloidal aspects of environmental pollution and technologies to monitor, remediate, abate and prevent pollution. The solution to the majority of environmental problems is closely connected with interfacial phenomena. The behaviour and transport of dispersed particles in the environment, the main phase separation methods in water treatment, liquid treatment, aerosol removal and many soil remediation processes, as well as methods for protecting humans from hazardous matter, are based on concepts of colloid chemistry, i.e. the properties of interfaces and their behaviour in different media. The book discusses a wide range of ecological problems, namely: colloidal stability and behavior of colloids - including radionuclides - in the environment, methods for monitoring the environment, use of adsorption, bioadsorption, coagulation, polymeric materials and membranes in water treatment, some modern methods of soil remediation, and the protection of humans using colloid-chemical processes.