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Genetic Technology: A New Frontier. Office of Technology Assessment, xvii. + 331 pages. Westview ... Technology and Business Prospects. 2nd ed. Joseph...
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ES&T BOOKS Genetic Technology: A New Frontier. Office of Technology Assessment, xvii + 331 pages. Westview Press, 5500 Central Ave., Boulder, Colo. 80301. 1982. $25, hard cover. Genetic technology could contribute much in the way of health care, food supplies, energy, and environmental cleanup, for example, But there could be technical and other constraints, including the possible production of harmful organisms. This book looks comprehensively at this emerging field. The Office of Technology Assessment is an advisory arm of Congress. Law and Practice Relating to Pollution Control in the European Communities. 10 Volumes. Government Institutes, Inc., 966 Hungerford Drive, N o . 24, Rockville, Md. 20850. $395 for the casebound set. This set covers each of the E E C countries, and includes a volume comparing the countries. It sets forth rules and regulations covering nearly all aspects of pollution control for air, the sea, inland waters, solid waste, and other important areas, as well as toxic substances. Key government organizations, special interest groups, and individuals are listed. This set is updated. Sunlight to Electricity: Photovoltaic Technology and Business Prospects. 2nd ed. Joseph A. Merrigan. xvi + 215 pages. M I T Press, 28 Carleton St., C a m b r i d g e , Mass. 02142. 1981. $19.95, hardcover. The author provides new forecasts for the development of the solar cell business into the 21st century with this updated edition. He discusses principles of conversion; state of the art; projected developments; and business opportunities. The Handbook of Earth Shelter Design. Mike Edelhart. xxvii + 235 pages. Doubleday & Co., Inc., 245 Park Ave., New York, N . Y . 10017. 1982. $11.95, paper. The subtitle is, "Living Well Without High Energy Costs." An earth shelter is a home or other such structure largely covered with earth, and can be a tremendous energy saver. This book describes many aspects of earth sheltering, including solving soil,

water, drainage, and ventilation problems; use of solar heat; costs and financing; and many other related matters. Commercial structures are discussed, and some actual shelters in which people live are presented. Handbook on Atmospheric Diffusion (DE82992945 ( D O E / T I C - 1 1 2 2 3 ) ) . Steven R. Hanna, et al. 108 pages. National Technical Information Service, U.S. Department of Commerce, Springfield, Va. 22161. 1982. $10.75, paper. This work covers basic meteorological concepts, to start; it then examines plume rise, source effects, and diffusion models. Cooling tower plumes and urban diffusion are discussed. Suggestions are made for calculating diffusion in special situations, such as for instantaneous releases, over complex terrain, and over distances of 10 km to global scales. Times when chemical reactions or wet or dry deposition become important are also discussed. The Environmental Decade in Court. Lettie M. Wenner. xii + 211 pages. Indiana University Press, Tenth & Morton Sts., Bloomington, Ind. 47405. 1982. $22.50, hardcover. Topics covered in this book include 1970s environmental policy; the time dimension; the role of litigants in shaping court outcomes; and the varied faces of environmental litigation. Federal system oversight, Supreme Court decisions, and whether the courts actually make a difference are subjects also examined. Handbook of Chemical Property Estimation Methods. Warren J. Lyman, et al., Eds. xxxix + 929 pages. McGraw-Hill Book Company, 1221 Avenue of the Americas, New York, N . Y . 10020. 1982. $42.50, hardcover. This work deals with the environmental behavior of organic compounds. It looks into chemical fate modeling, spill modeling, process design, experimental design, and environmental assessments. Chemicals are ranked as to priority, and, normally, 26 properties are discussed.

Light, Chemical Change and Life: A Source Book in Photochemistry. J. D. Coyle et al., Eds. ix + 406 pages. Open University Educational Enterprises Ltd., 12 Cofferidge Close, Stony Stratford, Milton Keynes MK11 1BY, U.K. 1982. $6.95, paper. This book is a general text that covers solar energy, atmospheric photochemistry, lasers, conjugated dyes, stratospheric ozone, photosynthesis, and a great diversity of topics in this broad field. Drinking Water and Health. Vol. 4. National Research Council, Safe Drinking Water Committee, ix + 299 pages. National Academy Press, 2101 Constitution Avenue, N . W . , Washington, D.C. 20418. 1982. $15.95, paper. This volume considers elements of public water supplies; chemical quality of water in the distribution system; and biological quality. Health implications, inorganic contaminant toxicity, and organic contaminant toxicity are also discussed. The Long-Term Impacts of Increasing Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide Levels. Gordon H. Macdonald, Ed. xxiv + 252 pages. Ballinger Publishing Company, P.O. Box 281, Cambridge, Mass. 02138. 1982. $35, hardcover. Will increasing atmospheric concentrations warm up the earth's climate, melt the glaciers, and so on? Here is a scientific look at CO2, its "budget," the oceans as a CO2 sink, and forecasts for future CO2 in the atmosphere. Radiative limits on climate, effects of trace constituents, climatic warming effects, and other pertinent topics are also covered in depth. Toxic Substances Control Act Inspection Manual. Vols. 1 & 2. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, ii + 314 pages. Government Institutes, Inc., 966 Hungerford Dr., No. 24, Rockville, Md. 20850., 1982. $28, paper. This two-in-one-volume book introduces the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) and provides general information concerning it. Inspector authority is discussed, as are the elements and scope of T S C A inspections. A PCB inspection manual is included, giving specific information necessary for a comprehensive inspection for PCBs. Data systems, shipping warrants, and other pertinent matters are also covered. Environ. Sci. Technol., Vol. 16, No. 9, 1982

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