Environmental Chemistry: Alr and Water
Pollution
Chemistry Today
William F. Kieffer, College of Wooster. Canfield Press, San Francisco, 1976. xii 596 pages. Figures and tables. 19 X 24 cm.
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Professor Kieffer has made another contribution to the gowing number of textbooks for the nonscience students' chemistry course. This text, "Chemistry Today," is quite different from his previous text, "Chemistry: A Cultural Approach" (Harper & Row, 1971). The previous text was primarily a historical-philosophical treatment of selected topics in chemistry. His latest presentation covers a broader range of topics and uses many analogies to situations from everyday life which students have undouhtedly encountered. The topics covered in "Chemistry Today" parallel many conventional introductory chemistry texts and include stoichiometry, states of matter, atomic and molecular structures, solutions, acids and bases, organic chemistry, polymers, and biochemistry. Particularly interesting are the three chapters on various forms of energy. The level of treatment is surprisingly high. Professor Kieffer has an amazing knack of giving a complex topic a thorough treatment without using a mathematical approach, although simple mathematics is used where appropriate. The analogies which are used should help students obtain a better grasp of the chemical and physical phenomena in the world around them. A few of the analogiesare rather colorful, such as the comparison between an unbonded oxygen atom and a divorced person-and the desire of both to
hpccmc rrcumbined again. Ircturcrs who nre hmk~ngfur interesting ways to present toplcs wll iind man) examples in thir book. At frequent points throughout the text, environmental concerns and dilemmas are pointed out along with the need for further research in these areas. The oreanic-biochemistry diarussioni are extremely wellwrlrten. The mly topic which thii revieurr feels is inadequately treated is descriptive inorganic chemistry, however there are chapters on oxidation-reduction and acids a n d bases. The book is nicely laid out, with good usage of diaerams and section "hieh-liehts". A .. .. glmiary d n e w rerhnical termsappear nt the end uf each chapter alung with zewml good questions and prohlrms. T h r indexing. ap. pears to he moat adequate. Errors are infrequent; the only really ohjectionahle one which was found was the presentation of a structural formula of EDTA as an amide of acetic acid and ethylenediamine on page 505. This text is certainly worthy of consideration by instructors of nonscience students' courses. It isnot an extreme or radically different approach, but is refreshingly "oldfashioned". Students who go through a c o m e centered around this text will come out with a good understanding of the chemistry involved in the world around them and hooefull" will be better ablr to help make intelligent drcisiunr as our environmental problems ~~
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Wayne C . Wolsey Mscale-?er College Saint Paul, Minnesota 55105
William F. Kieffer,Chemistry Today H. Stephen Stoker and Spencer L. Seoger, Environmental Chemistry: Air and Water Pollution Lower Division Staff Uniuersity of Maryland, Laboratory Chemistry, Second Edition, Volumes One and Two Andrew Streitwieser, Jr. and Peter H. Owens, Orbital and Electron Density Diagrams: An Annlieation of ~- Cnmnuter Gmnhies ----~ ~ ~ . . L. C. Roseloor, Systematic Physical Chemistry H. "on Olphen and Karol J. Mysels, editors, Physical Chemistry: Enriching Topics from Colloid and Surface Science David Nieholls, Inorganic Complexes Herman Sklonik and Kenneth M Reese, A Century of Chemistry: the Role of Chemists and the American Chemical Society R. 0. C. Norman and D. J. Waddington, Modern Organic Chemistry E. D. Morgan and Robert Robinson, An Introduction to Organic Chemistry. Aliphatic and Alicyclic Compounds Oliuer Howarth, Theory of Spectroscopy. An Elementary Introduction E. N. Guryanoua, I . P Gol'dschtein, and I. P. Romm, Donor-Acceptor Bond R. B. Cundall, and A. Gilbert, Photochemistry. Studies in Modern Chemistry Arthur W . Adomson and Paul D. Fleisehauer, editors, Concepts of Inorganic Photochemistry Eugene D. Olsen, Modern Optical Methods of Analysis Robert L. G o b , editor, Chromatographic Analysis of the Environment Howard V. Malmstadt, Christie G. Enke, Stanley R. Crouch, and Gory Horlick, Electronic Measurements for Scientists. Instrumentstion for Scientist Series L. A. Woodward, Molecular Statistics for Students of Chemistry M. F. R. Muleahy, Gas Kinetics Betty Jo Teeter Dobbs, The Foundations of Newton's Alchemy or "The Hunting of the Greene Lyan" New Volumes in Continuing Series
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H Stephen Stoker and Spencer I. S ~ a p or. Weher State College. Scott. Poremnn and ('omoanv. Glemlew. Illlnols. 1975 233 pp. Figs.;nd tables. 23.5 X 15.5 cm. $3.95. Environmental chemistry and specifically the chemistry of air and water pollution is a rapidly expanding field. This hoak, which is the second edition of the same title published in 1972.. nresents an introduction to the frrld. There ha\,e bren seveml minor changes in the second editwn. The material is presented in two parts. Part One focuses on air pollutants and is presented in the first seven chapters. The titles of the chapters: General Considerations, Carbon Monoxide, Nitrogen Oxides, Hydrocarbons and Photochemical Oxidants. Sulfur Oxides, I'artkulstes and ' l ' c m ~ m t u r e I n w r w n prowdt an indi~atiunof the matrr ~ a ldweuxsed. The first part is concluded with two appendices, air pollutant concentration expressions and national air quality standards. The chapters have similar formats by presenting discussions of sources of pollutants, commonly encountered eoncentratious, chemistry of atmospheric reactions, fate of atmospheric pollutants, human and plant health effects and methods of control. Water pollution is discussed in the six chapters that constitute Part Two. The titles of the chanters are: General Considerations, Deterrents. Pesticides..oil:. n~~ .Svnthetic Oreanic " Tmir Metal;, and Waste Wnter Treatment. These chapter$ presrnt a quolitntlw diiruisian of each group of pollutants and sizable quantities of data regarding their cancentrations, chemistry, and toxicity studies where annlieahle. The first edition included .. (Continued on page A180) ~
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Reviewer Wayne C . Wolsey Gordon K. Pagenkopf David B. Arnold
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K. N. Houk
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D. M. Schrader
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Ira Blei George B. Kauffman William G. Kessel Lowell E. Weller Wilmer K. Fife
J. E. Katon Milton Tamres Richard S. Givens E. L. Wehry James D. Ingle, Jr. Dwight B. Easty Peter Sturrock F. C. Goodrich Paul J. Dagdigian Ralph E. Oesper
Volume 54, Number 3, March 1977 / A177
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book reviews chapters on lead and mercury. These currently constitute the major portion of the Toxic Metals chapter. This book provides a useful introduction to the field of environmental chemistrv. I t cuntains simhle amounb of factual inflrmatiun that is presented in a non-nlnrmiut f ~ i h i u nEach . of the chapters ia followed hy a suggested reading list. A minimal amount of chemical background is assumed and thus this hook is well suited for an introductory nonehemistry major course in environmentd chemistry or chemistry in society. ~~
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OOroon K . Pagsnkopl M o n l a ~Slale Unrverslty Boreman. Montana 597 15
Laboratory Chemisiry. Second Edltlon. Volumes One and Two
Lower Division Staff. ... Universitv of .Maryland. Hurgrsr I'trhlrrhmg Cmnpany, Minneapulis. Minncsotn. l97i x + Y'2 pp. Ftgs. and Tables. 27.5 X 21 cm. 63.95. This manual is designed for an Introductory Chemistry course with three hours of laboratory a week. I t probably will he used most frequently in a terminal or nonmajors chemistry course. Volume 1 contains 15 experiments (one in two parts) of the traditional type (two in physical properties, four an oualatative analvsis. , . faur on ouantatative analysis. two on rynthes15, one on thermw chemistry, une st&hionwtry, une rrdox).
Volume 2 contains 15 experiments on organic compounds (crystallization, two using molecular models, two on polymerizatian (paly(methyl methacrylate) and Nylon 6 6 ) , nttratian of benzene, oxidation of benzyl alcohol dehydration of cyclohexanol synthesis of an am dye, relative rates of bromination of hydrocarbons, analysis of an unknown acid by titration, identification of aldehydes and ketones, chemistry of sugars, infrared spectroscopy, and gas chromatography. Both volumes have a periodic table, a picture identifying common laboratory apparatus, a comprehensive discussion of safety, and instruction for writing a laboratory notebook. (Except far two pieces of graph paper used for a freezing point depression, there are no tear-out sheets in the manual). In addition, Vol. 1 has a chart of the names, formulas and charges of 54 common ions, and a discussion of measurement, SI units, scientific notations, and significant figures. The latter is clearly treated in five pages. Mast of the Experiments are preceded by a "prelahoratory activity" section designed to acquaint the students with the concepts used in the experiment, an introduction, and a list of chemicals needed. The procedure in the experiments is described clearly, and the diagrams well executed end timely. Finally, questions for the student follow each experiment. Complicated mathematics is minimized. Safety is emphasized. This is ssmall, well balanced series of experiments, involving relatively inexpensive chemicals. It is well written, easy to follow, and relatively error free. (A notable exception Vol. 1 p. 47 diagram has the scales mis-aligned.) The pre lab activity and past lab questions should educate hut not overwhelm the student. On the debit side, the lab manual has only a limited number of experiments, allowing the instructor little choice. This is further complicated in Volume 2, experiment 13 Infrared Spectroscopy and experiment 14 Gas Chromatography. In the farmer, each student is expected to take a minimum of faur infrared spectra and in the latter produce 4 t o 5 gas chromatagrams. Unless the experiments are modified and the spectra and chromatagrams are given to the students, this calls for a considerable amount of instrumentation. Many schools would have to omit these labs, leaving only thirteen, one of which (Nylon) prohably could he done in 30-45 min. The second edition of this manual differs very little from the first. In Volume 1, faur minor changes appear: two for clarity and two which change the experiment only slightly. In the second volume, the changes are mostly organizational. Two long experiments have been split into two short experiments each, and the last experiment has been shifted to the front. Altogether this manual although limited in scope should do an excellent job of educating a student in a nonmajor introductory chemistry course. David B. Arnold Widener College Chester. Pennsylvania 190 13
(Continued on page A1841
A180 / Journal of Chemical Education
