Mapping the Chemical Environment of Urban Areas

Mapping the Chemical Environment of Urban Areas presents a comprehensive overview of the methods currently being employed to map and interpret the distribution of chemical elements and organic compounds in our towns and cities. Clearly structured throughout, the book is divided into two distinct sections. The first part covers more general aspects of urban chemical mapping with an overview of current practice, and reviews of different features of the component methodologies (chemical analysis, quality control, data interpretation and presentation, risk assessment, etc.). The second part includes a number of case studies from different urban areas, principally from Europe, but with some contributions from North America, Africa and Asia, authored by those national or academic institutions tasked with investigating the chemical environment of their major urban centres. An informative list of abbreviations and acronyms, used in the text, is included and many of the chapters define terms frequently employed in geochemical mapping that will help researchers give more clarity to the way in which such work will be described in the future. Chapters include strategies that can be employed to map urban environments, along with sampling procedures, which are used for a variety of sample media. Analytical methodologies for determining chemical elements and compounds are covered and their relative merits and disadvantages presented. Methods for defining element associations and what areas can be considered contaminated are documented, as are techniques for distinguishing between the natural chemical baseline and chemicals and compounds introduced by human activity. Many of the chapters discuss the potential impact on human health and describe the multi-disciplinary effort, usually supported by legislation, required to deal with the legacy of contamination found in many urban areas. Includes a review of methods currently being used to map the distribution of chemical elements and organic compounds in urban areas with recommendations on how future investigations should proceed Includes numerous key case studies, based on research undertaken in Europe, North America, Africa and Asia Supported by the EuroGeoSurveys Geochemistry Expert Group Edited by international experts in the field Illustrated in full colour throughout