Ecotoxicology: The Study of Pollutants in Ecosystems 3rd Edition
Author(s): Frank Moriarty (Author)
Publisher: Academic Press
Publication Date: 11 May 1999
Edition: 3rd
Language: English
Print length: 364 pages
ISBN-10: 0125067631
ISBN-13: 9780125067638
Book Description
Ecotoxicology, Third Edition discusses the ecological effects of pollutants: the ways in which ecosystems can be affected, and current attempts to predict and monitor such effects. The emphasis is on ecosystems; therefore toxicological approaches are critically assessed. Following a brief introduction to the principal characteristics of both pollutants and ecosystems, the various ecosystem components are considered in more detail. Populations, communities and gene pools are examined with an emphasis on the ways in which pollutants affect them specifically. The indirect effects of pollution are considered separately in a new chapter with particular attention paid to the mechanisms and biological effects of global warming. A discussion of the methods used to predict and to monitor the effects of pollutants, some illustrative examples of pollution problems and a final summary discussion, complete the book.
Editorial Reviews
Review
“…this is one of the most absorbing books on any subject I have read in recent times. This book will especially be useful for students in ecology, biochemistry, environmental studies, pollution science and industry. …I would fully recommend this book to everyone who wants to know more about this exciting new branch.” ―Anil Aggrawal for ANIL AGGRAWAL’S INTERNET JOURNAL OF FORENSIC MEDICINE AND TOXICOLOGY (2002)
“The book on the whole is written lucidly, rendering a complicated area of toxicology easy to comprehend and assimilate. The presentation of the subject is flawless and the list of references at the end of the book is impressively exhaustive. …All in all, this book could serve as an individual addition to any library stocking books on toxicology, as well as an asset to all students and professionals dealing with any aspect of the subject.” ―V.V. Pillay for ANIL AGGRAWAL’S INTERNET JOURNAL OF FORENSIC MEDICINE AND TOXICOLOGY (2002)
“… it contains a wealth of ecotoxicological reference data, so as a sourcebook it has considerable utility. It certainly has a place on the bookshelf of all toxicologists and ecotoxicologists.” —JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
From the Back Cover
Pollutants act either directly on individual organisms or indirectly by modifying the non-living (abiotic) environment. In order to properly understand these processes, a basic grounding in ecosystem ecology is needed, but from a toxicological perspective. This text and this new edition fully revises and expands the coverage of this subject. Following a brief introduction to the principal characteristics of both pollutants and ecosystems, the various ecosystem components are considered in more detail. Populations, communities and gene pools are examined with an emphasis on the ways in which pollutants affect them specifically. The indirect effects of pollution are considered separately in a new chapter with particular attention paid to the mechanisms and biological effects of global warming. A discussion of the methods used to predict and to monitor the effects of pollutants, some illustrative examples of pollution problems and a final summary discussion, complete the book. Certain key themes and cautions run throughout the entire text. Assessing toxicological impact is a far from simple process. Measures of acute toxicity, though important for individual organisms, have limited relevance to actual ecological impacts, since sublethal effects can be just as, or more damaging to populations. Screening and predictive tests based on acute toxicity are therefore biased against detecting ecological effects. Further, the monitoring and control of pollution damage also involves value judgements: What are the environmentalists trying to achieve and protect? The complexity of ecosystems and communities requires equally complex analysis, rather than the often simplistic application of absolute rules derived from laboratory toxicity tests. As technology and the impact of human activity on the environment develops and changes, the questions posed multiply and become ever more complex. This book has been an invaluable primer for students in ecology, biochemistry, environmental studies, pollution science and industry. The third edition will extend its relevance into the next millennium.
About the Author
Frank Moriarty, Ph.D., has spent over 25 years researching the ecological effects of pollution. For over 8 years he was part of a research unit working on plant-parasitic nematodes at the University of Cambridge. He also joined the Nature Conservancy, and later became part of the Natural Environmental Research Council.
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