OnlineMIn Print
Laboratories—A Guide to Master Planning, Programming, Procurement, and Design Fernand W. Dahan W. W. Norton and Co. New York 2001, 298 pp., $69.95 ISBN 0-393-73058-1 Whether you are a planner, architect, engineer, project manager, biologist, industrial hygienist, chemist, or other professional routinely involved in the design and construction (or procurement) of laboratory space, or whether you are the owner, administrator, manager, or designated staff member of a new facility, this book is a must for your personal (and professional) library. Laboratories takes you through the entire process in a logical flow: predesign, space considerations (renovate versus new/lease versus own), site selection, facility layout and furnishing, construction, chemical and waste storage, mechanical and electrical design, indoor air quality maintenance, hazard reduction, and facility strategic planning and implementation. It also provides a listing of common instruments needed for basic operation. The text is clear, logical, and well augmented with photographs and drawings. This work distinguishes itself from others dealing with the subject in that it is a comprehensive treatment, addresses itself to both design professionals and facility managers and 108 A
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users, provides detailed and complete process outlines for site selection, and analyzes all factors needed to select the right design team. It also excels in evaluating the process for selecting the most efficient option for acquiring the needed lab space, considering green building types, and analyzing the desirable relationship between the architects and engineers during programming and design. Also, one finds comprehensive analysis of indoor air quality needs for labs and related offices, as well as for containment, biosafety and cleanroom designs, and guidelines for facility strategic master planning are solidly presented. Laboratories is the current work of Fernand W. Dahan. Recently retired from the U.S. EPA, he was the senior architect of its Facilities Management Division, specializing in the design of high-tech buildings. The text reflects his hands-on experience culled from more than 28 years with the EPA, including a major renovation and update of this reviewer’s laboratory facility. Dahan, a member of the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards and the American Institute of Certified Planners and a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects (AIA), is well qualified to write this book. He is a recipient of international and national architectural awards, an author of articles on the planning and design of laboratories and advanced technology buildings, and a lecturer at many universities and professional meetings in the United States and abroad. Having developed EPA’s engineering standards and being a member of the AIA task group that develops their national guidelines for the planning and design of biomedical laboratories, his broad range of practical experience in this area, reflected in this text, is impressive. To cover the topics indicated above, the book is organized into a preface, an introduction, and 14 chapters. Additional specific features include a
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY / MARCH 1, 2002
detailed site selection example, with photographs and site plans, for a general chemistry laboratory in the Washington, D.C., area; detailed illustrations of laboratory modules with their caseworks, fume hoods, and safety and emergency devices; and examples of Room Data Sheets and their actual use in guiding room (lab module) users through the process of defining required size, chemicals, equipment, finishes, cabinets, storage space, exhaust, fire protection systems, plumbing, and electrical service needs. This book is truly an essential, practical, and complete guide through the complexities of modern laboratory design. Reviewed by Rosemarie C. Russo, Director, Ecosystems Research Division, National Exposure Research Laboratory, U.S. EPA, Athens, GA 30605-2700; e-mail: Russo.
[email protected] Books Assessment and Reclamation of Contaminated Land, R. E. Hester, R. M. Harrison, Eds. (Royal Society of Chemistry, 2001, 164 pp., $51). The United Kingdom needs more housing and may have to turn to cleaning up contaminated land like brownfields to accommodate the housing needs of future generations. This book examines policy and potential remediation practices for land and is volume 16 in the Issues in Environmental Science and Technology Series. Diffusion Phenomena, R. Ghez (Kluwer Academic/Plenum Publishers, 2001, 328 pp., $65). This second-edition textbook has a new name to more clearly reflect its original goal. Not intended to be “encyclopedic”, the book teaches aspects of basic modeling and methods to solve diffusion phenomena by illustrating concepts with physical examples. © 2002 American Chemical Society
Environmental Regime Effectiveness, E. Miles; A. Underdal; S. Andresen, J. Wettestad; J. Skjaerseth; E. Carlin (The MIT Press, 2001, 508 pp., $28.95). This volume of the Global Environmental Accord: Strategies for Sustainability and Institutional Innovation series confronts theory with evidence when looking at why some international-scale cleanup approaches work, while others show mediocre or no success. Environmental Science, E. Boeker; R. van Grondelle (Wiley & Sons, 2001, 362 pp., $35). This simple textbook introduces the physical principles and applications of environmental science when dealing with people’s interactions with the natural world and keeps the math to a minimum. Geosphere−Biosphere Interactions and Climate, L. Bengtsson, C. Hammer, Eds. (Cambridge University Press, 2001, 302 pp., $74.95). The members of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences and International Geosphere−Biosphere Programme summarize the current understanding of present climate and environment. Globalization and Environmental Reform, A. P. J. Mol (The MIT Press, 2001, 285 pp., $35). An environmental sociologist at Wageningen University (the Netherlands), the author analyzes the relationship between globalization and environmental quality in general terms and as it relates to three examples of reform involving the European Union, North America, Japan, and developing countries. Handbook of Pesticide Toxicology, 2nd Ed., R. Krieger, Ed. (Academic Press, 2001, 1694 pp., $395). This two-volume reference set presents the principles and agents involved in understanding the multifaceted concepts of pesticide exposure. Use, fate, and dosage studies are included. Hazardous and Radioactive Waste Treatment Technologies, C. H. Oh, Ed. (CRC Press, 2001, 920 pp., $139.95). This volume of the mechanical engineering handbook series provides a comprehensive discussion of the various aspects of mixed waste treatment with an overview of applicable laws, characterization techniques, and engineering technologies.
Humic Substances: Structures, Models and Functions, E. A. Ghabbour, G. Davies, Eds. (Royal Society of Chemistry, 2001, 388 pp., $129). These proceedings are part of a series that come from the Humic Substances Seminar held annually at Northeastern University. Topics include history, philosophy, spectroscopy, data, mobility, models, humification, and commercial uses. Integrated Solid Waste Management: A Life-Cycle Inventory, 2nd Ed., F. McDougall, P. White, M. Franke, P. Hindle, Eds. (Blackwell Science, 2001, 544 pp., $141). This book discusses integrated solid waste management and life-cycle inventory concepts; provides new information about waste generation, collection, and biological treatments; and supplies an improved user-friendly computer model for waste managers in a Windows format. Lords of the Harvest, D. Charles (Perseus Publishing, 2001, 348 pp., $27). The author, a science reporter, delves into the background of biotechnology, big money, and the future of genetically engineered foods. Organo–Clay Complexes and Interactions, S. Yariv, H. Cross, Eds. (Marcel Dekker, Inc., 2001, 688 pp., $195). This book provides comprehensive coverage of the structures of organo–clay complexes and current gravimetric and spectroscopic analytical techniques used to probe the finer structures.
Web Sites The Endangered Species Web site (http://eelink.net/EndSpp) provides extensive information about endangered or extinct species. First-time visitors can take advantage of the beginners section, which orients them to the layout and content of the site. For return visitors, there are links to species lists, species highlights, laws and policy, education, U.S. state information, organizations, causes, news, and action issues. The accessible endangered species lists include information from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, state-specific lists,
international lists, and proposed endangered species lists. The extinct species information at this site reviews species extinctions, lists all known extinctions, and discusses the impact of species loss. The Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (Fermilab), (www.fnal. gov) has had a long involvement with researching the development of cleaner, more efficient, and environmentally friendly nuclear and nonnuclear energy. For information about its research, start at www.fnal. gov/pub/ferminews. Fermilab is currently operated by Universities Research Association under contract with the U.S. Department of Energy. The National Library of Medicine site (www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ asthmainchildren.html) offers information about asthma, a debilitating and sometimes life-threatening condition usually affecting children, which is triggered by indoor and outdoor environmental factors, including polluted urban air, allergens of indoor and outdoor origin, and general indoor air quality. Links to agencies and organizations, including the National Institutes of Health, the National Institute of Environmental Health Science, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the U.S. EPA, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, the American Lung Association, and the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology, present the latest about asthma. Definitions, etiology, discussions about symptoms, and how to detect and manage an attack can also be found. The TNO (Netherlands Organisation for Applied Science and Research) (www.tno.nl) is the Dutch organization that acts as the bridge between scientific research and practical applications and contributes to the sponsorship of useful projects in the Netherlands and abroad. Their business services and technological research and development programs in the Netherlands are maintained on their Dutch and English site. TNO also publishes a monthly print magazine, TNO Magazine, which is available on the site and serves as a resource for information about TNO’s environmental work.
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