OnlineMIn Print
Microbial Pathogens and Disinfection By-products in Drinking Water—Health Effects and Management of Risks G. F. Craun, F. S. Hauchman, and D. E. Robinson, Eds. ILSI Press Washington, DC 2001, 650 pp., $75 ISBN 1-57881-117-1 When performed reliably, disinfecting drinking water with chlorine ranks among the most successful public health interventions since early last century. Although chlorine continues to be today’s disinfectant of choice because it is effective and inexpensive, serious consideration must be given to balancing the risk of infectious and parasitic diseases against possible health consequences resulting from chemical substances generated during the disinfection process. In fact, concerns about the health impact of chlorination byproducts have heightened over the past 25 years, despite the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer’s emphatic statement: “Chlorinated drinking water is not classifiable as to its carcinogenicity to humans.” Balancing these risks and benefits is the essence of public health protection. To gather related scientific 162 A
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knowledge and practical experience, the International Life Sciences Institute (ILSI) held the “Second International Conference on the Safety of Water Disinfection: Balancing Chemical and Microbial Risks”. The discussions centered on the recent return of cholera to Latin America and several water-related disease outbreaks in the United States involving Escherichia coli, Cryptosporidium, and other pathogens. This publication, skillfully edited by Craun, Hauchman, and Robinson, is a product of the ILSI conference. The book provides extensive experiential coverage relevant to the disinfection issue in both developed and developing countries. Forty-nine international participants contributed their expertise in epidemiology, toxicology, water treatment processes, and legal aspects related to managing possible health risks stemming from water consumption and water disinfection to the discussions. Several experts report experiences with alternative water disinfection approaches, and the text addresses both high- and low-technology alternatives. Because it contains the most upto-date collection of expert guidance, opinions, and experiences on the issue of balancing microbial and chemical health risks associated with treating drinking water, the publication would be useful to public health, water treatment, and health regulation professionals. Notably, the book provides a comprehensive summary of the conclusion of the conference, which emphasizes that the highest priority must always be given to providing a microbiologically safe water supply. Notwithstanding, efforts must constantly minimize chlorination byproducts. Reviewed by Horst Otterstetter, InterAmerican Association of Sanitary and Environmental Engineering, Georgetown University–School of Nursing and Health Studies, Washington, DC; otterste@aol. com.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY / APRIL 1, 2002
Books Bridging the Biosphere Home, M. Thomashow (MIT Press, 2001, 244 pp., $27.95). This book explains important scientific concepts in nontechnical language, relates intangible environmental problems to everyday life, and provides ideas to prevent biodiversity losses and climate change. Compensating for Wetland Losses Under the Clean Water Act, (National Academy Press, 2001, 348 pp., $49.95). This report from the National Research Council makes recommendations to sustain mitigating wetlands, including institutional reform in all levels of government, and explores the adequacy of science and technology for replacing the role of natural wetlands. Cryptosporidium: The Analytical Challenge, M. Smith; K. C. Thompson, Eds. (Royal Society of Chemistry, 2001, 164 pp., $85). These proceedings from the international conference held in Warwick, United Kingdom, on October 24–26, 1999, focus on defining and identifying oocysts in water systems. Fungi in Bioremediation, G. M. Gadd, Ed. (Cambridge University Press, 2001, 482 pp., $120). Each chapter of this book is written by an expert in mycological research. The book highlights filamentous fungi’s potential for bioremediation and examines the physiology, chemistry, and biochemistry of organic and inorganic pollutant transformation. Green Plastics, E. S. Stevens. (Princeton University Press, 2002, 238 pp., $29.95). Plastic is cheap, practical, and maligned as an environmental hazard. A biopolymer researcher discusses the basic chemistry behind plastics and why they pose a threat to ecosystems. The author introduces the biodegrad© 2002 American Chemical Society
able alternatives to petroleum starting materials. Instrumentation Fundamentals for Process Control, D. O. J. deSá (Taylor & Francis, 2001, 528 pp., $125). This introductory text could sway a young mind to consider a career in the instrument and control industry. Divided into four major sections, readers learn about primary control devices, process control, applications, and final control devices with mimimal mathematical theory. The Precautionary Principle, I. Goklany (Cato Institute, 2001, 124 pp., $17.95). This book appraises environmental risk assessment and shows that some popular policy ideas that rely heavily on the precautionary principle may do more harm than good, based on an alternative evaluation framework.
Web Sites For environmental education leads, look at www.csu.edu.au/education. Sponsored by the Charles Sturt University in Australia (www.csu.edu.au), the education site lists related sources for public environmental education, including Canada’s digital collections, Earthscan publications, Earthwatch, ECOCART, Refrigerant Compliance Management Training, curricula for grades K–12 , and the Environmental Education Network. The University of Minnesota Regional Sustainable Development Partnerships (www.regionalpartnerships. umn.edu/about.html) works with the community to incorporate renewable energy self-help projects. The group presents goals and corresponding plans for supplying local energy needs to parts of Minnesota by sustainably using available resources. Five Minnesota study sites focus on alternative, mainly renewable sources of energy for an area with brutal winter weather. Winter temperatures in Minnesota can fall as low as –40 °C, and even lower, before wind chill is taken into account. The Information Systems for Biotechnology (www.isb.vt.edu/index aboutlevel1.cfm) is a national re-
source for agbiotech information that is maintained by the Virginia Institute of Technology in Blacksburg, Va. A Practical Guide to Containment: Greenhouse Research With Transgenic Plants and Microbes, a manual about transgenic plants and microbes, exemplifies the available sources. The manual is the first of its kind and was published cooperatively by the University of Minnesota, Virginia Tech, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The National Foundation for Infectious Diseases Bioterrorism Links are at www.nfid.org/library/ bioterrorism.html. It links to various information sources about bioterrorism, a National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases press conference video clip, and lists selected articles related to bioterrorism that have appeared in the Journal of the American Medical Association from the Johns Hopkins Center for Civilian Biodefense Studies (www. hopkins-biodefense.org). Each paper includes microbiology of the pathogen, pathogenesis and clinical manifestations, diagnosis, immunization, chemoprophylaxis, and therapy. Diseases such as anthrax, botulism, plague, smallpox, and tularemia are discussed. The Austrian Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, Environment and Water Management (http://webred.lfrz.at/ frame.phtml?file=/en/wasser/index. html) links to detailed numerical data about water quality and management in Austria. Although much of the information that is provided here is available in English, a knowledge of German would help in making more practical use of the site. Currently, 87% of Austria’s inhabitants have a central water supply, about 99% of which comes from groundwater and spring water. In fact, Austria obtains almost none of its drinking water supply from surface water, which contrasts sharply with many other European countries. In addition, 81% of Austria’s running water, as represented in the Quality Card 1998, indicates a biological classification of Quality Class II or better, which was achieved by cleanup chiefly involving the extension of sewage pipe networks and the expansion of sewage treatment plants. APRIL 1, 2002 / ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
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