Natural Processes and Systems for Hazardous Waste Treatment

New chemical compounds are constantly being created to meet specific industrial applications and for human uses. Release of these compounds into the environment is inevitable and their contamination of natural resources, as well as their effect on human health, remain an important global ecological concern. Many compounds degrade in the presence of various natural processes, so there is a need to understand whether new compounds will persist in the environment or will eventually break down innocuously. Natural Processes and Systems for Hazardous Waste Treatment discusses the various natural processes for the attenuation and degradation of hazardous compounds and these processes application in inexpensive natural systems. Major attenuation processes that are covered include: sorption and sequestration, biodegradation and assimilation processes, photo-processes, phyto-processes, oxidation-reduction, and physical processes. Extensive up-to-date references are presented, as are numerous illustrations, tables, and case studies. This book will serve as a reference for undergraduate or graduate students, as well as for practicing professionals.