Taking a nonmathematical approach to the material, Environmental Chemistry in Society presents the chemistry of the environment in a way accessible to students who have little or no science background. It relates the fundamentals of chemistry to contemporary environmental issues.
Shows the Relevance of Chemistry in the Environment
Requiring no prior experience within the field, the text first supplies all the background information necessary to grasp the issues explored in later chapters. It reviews the laws of thermodynamics and conservation of matter; basic chemistry concepts, such as chemical bonding, acid–base theory, and oxidation–reduction; carbon, oxygen, hydrogen, nitrogen, phosphorus, and sulfur cycles; and modern environmental toxicology topics, such as organochlorine pesticides, polychlorinated biphenyls, dioxins, and endocrine toxins. The author then focuses on current environmental issues, including energy conservation, smog, indoor air contaminates, global warming, ozone depletion, water shortages and pollution, and solid and hazardous wastes. Presenting ways to combat these problems, he explores hydrogen fuel cells, catalytic converters, the phase out of chlorofluorocarbons, and desalinization.