This introductory text explains the fundamentals of the chemistry of the natural environment and the effects of mankind’s activities on the earth’s chemical systems.

• Retains an emphasis on describing how natural geochemical processes operate over a variety of scales in time and space, and how the effects of human perturbation can be measured.
• Topics range from familiar global issues such as atmospheric pollution and its effect on global warming and ozone destruction, to microbiological processes that cause pollution of drinking water deltas.
• Contains sections and information boxes that explain the basic chemistry underpinning the subject covered.
• Each chapter contains a list of further reading on the subject area. Updated case studies.
• No prior chemistry knowledge required.
• Suitable for introductory level courses.

Environmental chemistry is now a key part of many environmental, earth and life science courses. An understanding of the fundamental chemistry implicit in the subject is important, but students must also be familiar with aspects of mineralogy, oceanography, soil science, sedimentology and microbiology, to name just a few of the cross-over areas.

The second edition is fully revised and expanded to provide a concise but thorough introduction to the subject in its widest sense. The book retains an emphasis on describing how natural geochemical processes operate over a variety of scales in time and space, and how the effects of human perturbations can be measured.

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