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BulletinTHE ROYAL SOCIETY OF CHEMISTRY

ENVIRONMENTAL CHEMISTRY GROUP

1

January 2004

Environment, Sustainability

and Energy Forum ........................................ 2

ECG Distinguished Guest

Lecture 2004 ....................................................... 2

IEMA student essay winner

2003 ............................................................................. 4

IEMA student essay awards

2004 ............................................................................. 6

What the ECG can do for you! ........ 7

ECG questionnaire ....................................... 7

Ion chromatography and

environmental analysis ............................ 8

Evaluating air quality ................................ 9

EPA Framework for Metals

Risk Assessment .......................................... 11

Web site review (No. 1) ....................... 12

News of the EHSC .................................... 12

Forthcoming symposia .......................... 13

SEGH 2004 Sussex University ..... 14

Young Environmental Chemists

Meeting 2004 .................................................. 14

Book review (The Clean Air

Revolution: 1952 to 2052) ................ 14

New RSC books on the

environment ...................................................... 15

Meeting report: chrysotile

asbestos−cement products ................. 15

Meeting report: monitoring

exposure to air pollution ...................... 17

Book review (Minamata) .................... 18

Recent acquisitions by the RSC

library ...................................................................... 19

The current ECG Bulletin may be seenon the internet athttp://www.rsc.org/lap/rsccom/dab/scaf003.htm

BULLETIN EDITORDr Rupert Purchase,38 Sergison Close,Haywards Heath,West Sussex RH16 1HUTel: 01444 455673e-mail [email protected]

ChairmanDr Andrea Jackson,School of the Environment,University of Leeds,Leeds LS2 9JTTel: 0113 233 [email protected]

Vice-Chairman &Honorary TreasurerDr Brendan Keely,Department of Chemistry,University of York,Heslington,York YO10 5DDTel: 01904 [email protected]

Honorary SecretaryDr Leo Salter,Centre for Science,Cornwall College,Trevenson Road,Pool,Redruth,Cornwall TR15 3RDTel: 01209 [email protected]

CONTENTS

ECG Bulletin – January 2004

RSC ENVIRONMENTAL CHEMISTRY GROUP OFFICERS(from March 2003)

Envisat is an advanced Earth observation satellite with a unique combination ofsensors to vastly improve the range and accuracy of scientific measurements of theatmosphere, oceans, land surface and ice. Its total range of capabilities far exceedsthose of any previous or planned Earth observation satellite. It was launched inspring 2002 by an Ariane-5 launcher.

ECG Distinguished Guest Lecture & Symposium,March 3rd 2004

“Environmental Chemistry from Space”

Environmental Chemistry Group Bulletin January 2004

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Environment, Sustainability and Energy ForumRecent developments withinthe RSC’s Environment,Sustainability and EnergyForum (ESEF) include theappointment of Dr Elliot Fineras Chair of the Forum and DrAndrea Jackson as Vice-Chair.

Elliot Finer has recently held keyappointments as Director General of theChemicals Industries Association (1996– 2002), Head of Chemicals andBiotechnology Division, DTI (1992 –1995), and Director General of the

Energy Efficiency Office in theDepartment of Energy (1988 – 1990).Andrea Jackson, who is also Chair ofthe Environmental Chemistry Group,is a Lecturer at the University of Leedsin the School of the Environment and hermain research interest is the chemistryof the atmosphere. Dr Eimear Cotter,from the RSC, will support and managethe initiatives and activities of the Forum.Eimear’s research background is also inatmospheric chemistry – before joiningthe RSC she spent several years inacademic research and has also workedas an environmental consultant for ArthurD. Little Ltd.

With these recent appointments,activities within the Forum are beginningto gather pace. The executive committeeis currently being formed and once thishas been completed, the first executivecommittee meeting will take place in2004 where ESEF strategy and keyinitiatives will be discussed anddeveloped further.

For more information about theEnvironment, Sustainability and EnergyForum, please go to www.rsc.org/science/esef.htm or contact EimearCotter at [email protected] or call 0207440 3333.

Forthcoming symposiumRoyal Society of ChemistryEnvironmental ChemistryGroup

Thirty-first Annual GeneralMeeting and 2004Distinguished Guest Lecture& Symposium: EnvironmentalChemistry from Space

To be held in the Meeting Room of theLinnean Society of London, BurlingtonHouse, Piccadilly, London onWednesday March 3rd 2004

PROGRAMME

13.30 Chairman’s Introduction: DrAndrea Jackson (Chair, RSCEnvironmental Chemistry Group)

13.35 Dr Paul Monks, University ofLeicesterProbing the troposphere fromspace

14.20 Professor Jim Aiken, PlymouthMarine LaboratoryRemote-sensing of air-sea fluxesof CO2: constraining the globalCO2 budgets

15.05 Tea and RSC EnvironmentalChemistry Group AnnualGeneral Meeting

15.30 Introduction to the 2004 RSCECG Distinguished GuestLecture

15.35 2004 RSC EnvironmentalChemistry Group DistinguishedGuest Lecture: Professor JohnBurrows, University of BremenViewing the earth’s environmentfrom space: the challenges, theprogress and the future

16.35 Open Forum

17.00 Close

The nearest underground stations to theLinnean Society are Green Park andPiccadilly Circus.

“The atmosphere and earth form asystem, which determine the nature andbehaviour of the environment,experienced by mankind and thebiosphere. Prior to the industrialrevolution, the global impact ofanthropogenic activity on theenvironment was negligibly small.However, the growth in population andassociated living standards in the pasttwo centuries has been such that pollutionis now a global issue; well knownexamples are the tropospheric release ofchlorofluorocarbon compounds and theconsequent depletion of stratosphericozone; the reduction in air quality andthe increase in tropospheric ozone; and

the release of greenhouse gases. Theorigin and consequences of both naturaland anthropogenically-induced changesin atmospheric composition havebecome a matter of public concern andscientific debate.

In the past decade it has beendemonstrated that troposphericmeasurements of important trace gasesand aerosol can be made from space. Thecapability of passive remote sensingdevices attached to geostationaryplatforms for measuring atmospherictrace constituents will be described.”Professor John Burrows, University ofBremen

“The Centre for Air-Sea Interactions andfluxes research programme will bedescribed. The purpose of CASIX is toexploit new-generation EarthObservation (EO) data to advance thescience of air-sea interactions and reducethe errors in the prediction of climatechange. The primary goal is to quantifyaccurately the global air-sea fluxes ofCO2 using state-of-the-art, error-budgeted models. New sensors in newsatellites (Envisat, Aqua) will give high-precision, high-resolution data ofatmosphere, ocean boundary layerproperties and ocean biogeochemicalvariables daily, globally, and long term.Only by using and assimilating EO datain models can CASIX achieve its goals.CASIX will merge the Met Office ocean


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modelling team and major UK academicresearch groups, with Space Agencysupport, to accelerate the developmentof methods of forecasting Earth systemprocesses.”Prof. Jim Aiken, Plymouth MarineLaboratory

“One of the major challenges facing

atmospheric science is to assess,understand and quantify the impact ofnatural and anthropogenic pollution onthe quality of life on Earth on a local,regional and global scale. It has becomeapparent that pollution originating fromlocal/regional events can have seriouseffects on the composition of the loweratmosphere on a global scale. Remote

sensing from space has the potential tobe a cornerstone of future observationalstrategies in this area. This lecture willreview the current capability, future ideasand underlying science of probing thetroposphere from space.”Dr Paul Monks, University of Leicester

Royal Society of Chemistry Environmental Chemistry Group31st Annual General MeetingMeeting Room, the Linnean Society of London, Wednesday 3rd March 2004, 15.05 pm

ChairmanDr Andrea Jackson (University of Leeds)Vice-ChairmanDr Brendan Keely (University of York)Hon. TreasurerDr Brendan Keely (University of York)Hon. SecretaryDr Leo Salter (Cornwall College)

Committee Members:Dr Kim Cooke (Sira Ltd)Dr Chris Harrington (University ofLeicester)Prof. Steve Hill (University of Plymouth)Dr Michael Leggett (British StandardsInstitution)Dr Rupert Purchase (Consultant)

Representatives on the ECG Committee:Dr John Hoskins (OETG)Dr Steven Lipworth (EHSC) (RoyalSociety of Chemistry)

Dr Andrea Jackson retires as Chair andmoves to Vice-Chair and HonoraryTreasurer.Dr Brendan Keely retires as Vice-Chairman and moves to Chair.Dr Brendan Keely retires as HonoraryTreasurer.Dr Leo Salter remains as HonorarySecretary.

ROYAL SOCIETY OF CHEMISTRY ENVIRONMENTAL CHEMISTRY GROUP

Thirty-first Annual General Meeting and Distinguished Guest Lecture & Symposium: “Environmental Chemistry from Space”,March 3rd 2004

There are no registration formalities associated with this meeting and guests are welcome, but in order to assist the organisers itwould be appreciated if those intending to be present would notify Dr Michael Leggett by means of the slip below or by e-mail.There will be a charge of £5 for non-members of the Environmental Chemistry Group, which should be returned with the slip(cheques made payable to RSC Environmental Chemistry Group).

Please tick the item(s) below as appropriate.

I would like to attend:

The AGM ❑The Symposium ❑I enclose a cheque for the £5 registration fee (non-members of the ECG only) ❑Name: ..............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

Address: ........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

Please send to: Dr Michael Leggett ([email protected]), British Standards Institution, 389 Chiswick High Road,London W4 4AL

AGENDA

1. Apologies for absence2. Minutes of the 30th AGM held on 5th

March 2003 at the Linnean Societyof London

3. Report on Group Activities4. Election of officers and members of

the Committee5. Any other business

The composition of the presentCommittee is given below, with anindication of members who will beretiring under the rules of the Group.


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Institute of Environmental Management & Assessment (IEMA)IEMA Student Essay Award Winner 2003‘The price of everything andthe value of nothing’:Economics and monetaryvaluation of the environment.

The debate concerning ourability to place a cash value onthe environment represents asharp point of differencebetween two views of theworld. From one perspective,the planet and its workings areseen as a complex, barelyunderstood tangle of cause andeffect; from the other, it is, atleast in theory, knowable,measurable and ultimately,predictable. At heart, it is apolitical debate and the positionone finally adopts, for oragainst, is likely to beconditioned by core beliefs. Inhis 2003 award winning IEMAstudent essay, Colin Bushexplores the issues.

Those who feel most strongly that theenvironment can be treated as aneconomic good, much like any other, areto be found amongst the ranks ofeconomists. In this view, economictheory demonstrates that, given a viablepricing mechanism for environmentalgoods, the ‘invisible hand’ of AdamSmith will provide, and markets can bemade to work for the environment. Thisessay will argue that such a view is atbest misleading; at worst, a dangerousfantasy, unlikely to lead to the outcomesits proponents confidently expect.

Let us first examine the case for puttinga price on nature. According to Bowersin Sustainability and environmentaleconomics (1997), “Neo-classicalenvironmental economists argue thatenvironmental problems arise frommarket failure and define the optimumstate of the environment as that which

would hold were the sources of marketfailure corrected.”

Markets can fail for two principalreasons, held to be of great importancein explaining why environmentaldegradation occurs.

First is the problem of ‘public goods’,free for use by anyone, owned by no one.Air, for instance, is a public good. Nomarket exists for it, it cannot be tradedand nobody profits from its consumption.Equally nobody has an incentive tomaintain air quality because everyonebenefits from improvements paid for bya few. So, the argument runs, theoptimum level of air quality will neverbe reached because a rational economicagent – and all people and firms are heldto behave ‘rationally’ – will not pay thecost of the improvement.

Second are externalities, which arisewhen the market has no price for theimpact of consumption by one agentupon the utility of another. For example,a factory owner might dispose of wastesin a river that is also used for drinkingwater. The utility of the thirsty is affectedby the pollution but there is no cost tothe factory owner and therefore noincentive to alleviate the pollution.

The solution, according to economists,is to assign property rights and to pricethe environment. Property rights mustbe well defined, secure and enforceable,freely transferable and exclusive if themarket is to function correctly. Withoutthese features, a rational person or firmwould not purchase a good because itsfull benefits cannot be enjoyed. Whoowns the property rights is unimportant.Either way, an optimum level of pollutioncontrol will be found at the equilibriumpoint where the utility enjoyed by bothsides is at its greatest when measuredagainst the cost to both sides.

Pearce and Turner in their book,Economics of natural resources and theenvironment (1990), point out that if theCoase theorem,* as this is known, iscorrect “we have no need for governmentregulation of externality, for the market

will take care of itself”. However, thereare a number of dubious assumptions thatmust be made for the theorem to hold,perhaps the most important being that themarket must be perfectly competitive.Pearce and Turner add: “perfectcompetition is a convenient fiction forconstructing economic models, but it isremote from the real world.”

Even the most enthusiastic environ-mental economists admit that the Coasetheorem is seriously flawed, however thishas not prevented the construction ofother models based on the behaviour ofrational economic agents. Hanley,Shogren, and White in their Introductionto environmental economics (2001),calculate the optimal area of rainforestleft standing when the present value ofthe marginal benefits of clearing equalsthe present value of the marginal benefitsof preservation. In their book,Environmental economics: an elementaryintroduction (1994), Turner, Pearce andBateman demonstrate the optimal levelof wastage, the equilibrium between themarginal benefits of reducing waste andthe marginal costs of preventing wastereaching the environment.

Before such models can be applied it isessential to be able to quantify, forinstance, the marginal benefits ofpreserving an area of rainforest. Since thebenefits of clearing trees are measured incurrency then, ipso facto, so must be thebenefits of preservation. But there is nomarket selling the benefits of preservinga rainforest and they are not priced: untilthey are, the model is useless. Once pricesare assigned, some economists argue, themodel can function as a guide to policybecause the loss of rainforest is anexample of the first type of market failure:rainforest is a public good.

Various techniques have been proposedto value the environment; none of themare completely satisfactory. Jacobs inThe green economy (1991) points out thatdescribing the full benefits of anenvironmental good may be impossibleif we have incomplete knowledge of itsfunction in the ecosystem. In economicterms it is foolish to try to quantify such


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benefits, since one of the assumptionsrequired for the market to function is thateconomic agents have completeknowledge of what is being traded.Nevertheless, economists have tried toassign prices to environmental assetsusing two general methods:

One method infers a value from goodsassociated with the environmental asset:economic agents are said to reveal theirpreference for the environmental goodin relation to the amount they actuallypay for the associated good. An analysisbased on the market price of houses nearthe environmental asset, or the amountof money spent travelling to the asset,have been suggested as examples of thismethod of valuation.

The other method relies on asking peoplewhat they would be willing to pay to keepan environmental asset, or alternativelywhat they would be willing to accept incompensation for its loss. A number ofissues bedevil this approach, for instancethere is the danger of inbuilt bias in theprocess itself producing erroneousresults, and issues concerning theveracity of the answers given byrespondents.

Economists are well aware of thesedifficulties but some feel that the exerciseshould still be undertaken. Accordingto Turner, Pearce and Bateman, inEnvironmental economics: anelementary introduction (1994),“Economic (monetary) valuation of non-market environmental assets may bemore or less imperfect given theparticular asset together with itsenvironmental and valuation contexts;but, invariably, some valuation…is betterthan none, because none can mean someimplicit valuation shrouded from publicscrutiny.”

Others are unconvinced. Bowers inSustainability and environmentaleconomics (1997) makes the point that,when used in a straightforward cost/benefit context, the concept ofcompensation for environmentaldegradation is meaningless because nosuch compensation is ever paid. Heargues that prices cannot be assigned tothe environment although the economicmodels themselves remain useful, “It isnot the primary task of environmentaleconomics to place values on

environmental assets and…with manyenvironmental assets no meaningfulmonetary valuations can bederived…however it is not necessary tovalue such assets in order to devise andappraise environmental policies.”

Schumacher in Small is beautiful: a studyof economics as if people mattered(1974) goes further calling valuation,“…A procedure by which the higher isreduced to the level of the lower and thepriceless is given a price…All it can dois lead to self deception and the deceptionof others; for to undertake to measure theimmeasurable is absurd and constitutesbut an elaborate method of moving frompreconceived notions to forgoneconclusions.”

And this is indeed the fear: by reducingenvironmental assets to economic goods,the very situation that environmentaleconomics seeks to avoid will be broughtabout more swiftly. Environmentaldegradation will be facilitated.

One feels that modern economists areakin to Marxists in their belief in theuniversal applicability of their creed.Insofar as they apply economic theoryto the relationship between people andthe environment, they go further thanMarxists ever dared. The problem,according to Redclift in Sustainableenvironmental economics andmanagement: principles and practice(1993), is that economists “have chosento understand what we do not know interms of what we do”.

But is it even the case that ‘economics’is understood? Some believe that thehubris of neo-classical economists isgravely misplaced: “The ability oforthodox economics to understand theworkings of the economy at the overalllevel…is manifestly weak (some wouldsay it was entirely non-existent). This isnot to say that the subject is a completelyempty box. At the detailed level – themicro level – economics might be ableto offer certain insights…It is wheneconomics strays from the particular intothe general that its weaknesses areexposed more ruthlessly – The death ofeconomics (1994).

According to this view, that of formereconometrician Paul Ormerod, theclaims of economics to be able to make

predictions about the behaviour of theeconomy are entirely unjustified by theresults. To take just one example, theUnited Kingdom Treasury annualforecast of Gross Domestic Product forthe coming year has been in error, onaverage, by 1.5%. During the sameperiod the average growth in GDP wasonly 2%, almost the same size as theerror. (Butterfly economics, 1998).Treasury economists are not unusuallyincompetent: the issue is that the neo-classical economic models in useeverywhere are fundamentally flawed.

The belief in the efficiency of the marketplace has its mathematical proof in thework done by Walras and Pareto in theearly Twentieth century. This shows thatin a free market economy all markets will‘clear’ and resources will be allocated inthe most efficient way possible.Unfortunately the mathematics only workunder certain assumptions and, whenthese are considered, it becomes obviousthat the whole construction resembles theproverbial house built on sand.

The mathematics require a so-called“continuum of traders”, a literally infinitebody of economic agents, all of whommust have perfect knowledge of thegoods being traded in order to price themcorrectly. These are hardly realisticassumptions, but without them themathematics proving the existence of ageneral equilibrium, where all markets‘clear’, simply do not obtain.

The infinity of omniscient men andwomen are all assumed to have the samepreferences and act rationally to satisfythem, with diminishing marginal returnsin the utility gained for each unit ofconsumption. This supposed rationalityof individuals is challenged by Loomes,in Probability versus money: a test ofsome fundamental assumptions aboutdecision making, Economic Journal, No447, (1998), who maintains that peopleare not “characterised by some set offully formed and highly articulatedpreferences which they can and willapply consistently to any and every formof decision problem”... His research maysuggest “the need for a…radicalreformation of certain basic precepts ofdecision theory and welfare economics”.

The continuing appeal of neo-classicaleconomics rests mainly on the undeniable


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success of Western market economiesover the last couple of centuries, but thisintellectual hegemony is called intoquestion by Ormerod, who insists: “itcannot be emphasised too strongly that,in practice, the competitive model is farremoved from being a reasonablerepresentation of Western economies…”.The theoretical model of the generalequilibrium does not, therefore, explainor even approximate the actual economy.It follows that there is no justification forthe belief that free markets will ofthemselves limit environmentaldegradation to the optimal level.

Our understanding of the workings of theeconomy is lacking. Much empiricalevidence exists to suggest that itsoperation is similar to the non-linear,chaotic fashion of many complexsystems in the natural world. Suchevidence compellingly explains thesudden, apparently random shifts inbehaviour in financial markets ornational economies.

Perhaps this is not surprising: it accordswith a common sense view of theeconomy, of human society, as a part ofthe wider environment. Jacobs in Thegreen economy (1991) has shown that theeconomy relies completely on theenvironment in order to function and that,without the services provided by theenvironment, there would be noeconomy. To treat the natural world as amere segment of the economy, as someeconomists would, is to put the cartbefore the horse on a colossal scale.

Ormerod captures well the fundamentalreason why the grandiose claims madeby some neo-classical economistscontribute little to the debate onenvironmental protection: “Economistssee the world as a machine…whoseworkings can be understood by puttingtogether carefully and meticulously itscomponent parts…A lever pulled in acertain part of the machine with a certainstrength will have regular and predictableoutcomes elsewhere in themachine…Environmentalists, bycontrast, see the world as a livingorganism. Prodding the system in acertain way in a certain place maysometimes cause the beast to hop in onedirection, sometimes in another, andsometimes it will not move atall…behaviour is altogether too complex

to be captured by a mechanisticapproach.” (The death of economics,1994)

This latter view is as true of people andthe economy as it is of the world as awhole. There is no reason to believe thatmarkets can be made to work for theenvironment because orthodox economictheory is a chimera. Markets will onlyfind the optimum state of theenvironment by accident. We must notallow policy to be driven by the dictatesof a flawed theory or great harm mayaccrue to the environment.

COLIN BUSH,Oxford Brookes University,MSc Environmental Assessment andManagement

REFERENCES

This essay with a full list of the referencescan be obtained from [email protected] ECG thanks the IEMA forpermission to reproduce this essay.

*The “Coase Theorem”Nobel laureate Ronald Coase is Professor

Emeritus of Law and Economics at theUniversity of Chicago. He is interestedin the “efficiency” of tort rules, i.e. inthe rules’ tendency to bring about an“efficient” outcome, defined as one inwhich the net sum of social wealth (aproxy for social happiness, but moreeasily measured) is maximised.Recognising that safety has costs, Coaseand his followers think of an efficient ruleas one that minimises the sum of accidentcosts and prevention costs, because sucha rule will, given other assumptions,subtract the least from social wealth.Note that “efficiency” in this sense(called “Pareto” efficiency after theeconomist Vilfredo Pareto) does notrequire that costs be allocated justlybetween people. Justice is a separateideal, from the economists’ perspective.Some economists (not all) have arguedthat justice is a confused, contestableidea, and that society would be better offif tort rules were fashioned solely toadvance efficiency. (Editor’s note viaGoogle).

Students in full or part-time education are invited to enter the IEMA Student Essay AwardCompetition. The competition is an opportunity for students to demonstrate anunderstanding of the subject and their ability to write in an engaging and original manner.Essays can be on any topic related to the environment and sustainable development; theseshould be no longer than 2,000 words.

To obtain a copy of the competition rules please contact Paula Gouldthorpe [email protected] or tel: 0152 254 0069

IEMA Student Essay Awards 2004

The first prize is:

• a cash prize of £800

• a distance learning course module withthe University of Bath, leading toAssociate Membership of the IEMA.

• two days at the IEMA AnnualConference, with one nightsaccommodation and evening dinnerincluded.

• a framed certificate and ceremonialaward

• the winning essay will be featured in theJune issue of ‘the environmentalist’

There will also be two runner-up prizes

• a cash prize of £100

• a distance learning course module withthe University of Bath, leading toAssociate Membership of the IEMA

• invite to awards dinner on the 19thMay

• a framed certificate

The closing date for essaysis 29th February 2004


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What the ECG can do for you!Included in this issue of theEnvironmental Chemistry Group(ECG) Bulletin is a questionnaire,“What the ECG can do for you!”The ECG committee is in aprocess of reviewing its activitiesso that it can continue to providehigh quality information, eventsand meetings which encompassthe diverse range of interests ofRSC members who belong to the

Environmental Chemistry Group.

Whatever your scientific background andinterests, you will have recently tickedyour RSC 2004 subscription form toindicate an interest in the chemistry ofthe environment. We would very muchlike to know whether we currently fulfilyour aspirations and interests, and alsowhat specific new or different areas ofenvironmental chemistry appeal to you.

The ECG is one of the largest subjectgroups within the RSC. With such a

broad based membership and a rapidlychanging environmental agenda atnational and international level, this isan exciting time to help influence thedirection and activities of the ECG. Withthis in mind, your contribution andfeedback via the enclosed questionnairewill be an invaluable resource.

Dr CHRIS HARRINGTON,University of Leicester,Cancer Prevention and BiomarkersGroup, Biocentre, University Road,Leicester

RSC Environmental Chemistry Group questionnaireThe Royal Society ofChemistry’s EnvironmentalChemistry Group (ECG)wishes to expand the range ofits activities. This questionnairewill help the ECG committeeunderstand the requirements,

needs and aspirations of thebroader chemistry and sciencecommunities. This is anopportunity for you to shape theactivities of the EnvironmentalChemistry Group. PLEASEtake the time to complete this

form and then return it to: DrCHRIS HARRINGTON,University of Leicester, CancerPrevention and BiomarkersGroup, Biocentre, UniversityRoad, Leicester.

Job Title:

......................................................

Employer’s main activity:❑ Academic

❑ Industrial

❑ Public Sector

❑ Regulatory

❑ Other, please specify:

......................................................

Age group:❑ 16-20 ❑ 21-30 ❑ 31-40

❑ 41-50 ❑ 51-60 ❑ 61-65

❑ 65+

Where do you live:❑ Scotland ❑ Northern England

❑ Midlands ❑ Wales

❑ SW England ❑ SE England

❑ London

Your main areas of interestinclude:❑ Analysis

❑ Research

❑ Education

❑ Health and safety

❑ Toxicology

❑ Regulatory compliance

❑ Environmental health


......................................................

Previous attendance at ECGorganised events:❑ Often

❑ Seldom

❑ Never

Reasons for not attending ECGorganised meetings:❑ Not applicable to my interests

❑ Did not know about it

❑ Too expensive

❑ Too far to travel

❑ Too busy

❑ Other, please specify

......................................................

How do you find out about ECGmeetings:

❑ RSC Journal

❑ Non-RSC Journal

❑ Chemistry World (Chemistry in Britain)

❑ ECG Bulletin

❑ Mailshot

❑ Colleague


......................................................

Style of meetings you would like:❑ More concerned with technology

❑ More concerned with regulatory

affairs

❑ Joint meetings with other societies

❑ Joint meetings with other RSC

subject groups

❑ Other please specify:

......................................................

If you would like to comment furtherabout the ECG and it’s activities,please do so on the reverse side ofthis questionnaire.

THANK YOU FOR TAKING THETIME TO COMPLETE THISQUESTIONNAIRE.


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Application of ion chromatography in environmental analysisage of analytical instrumentation in the1960s, when atomic spectroscopyessentially took over trace metaldeterminations from both ion exchangeand photometric methods.

Nonetheless, there was one area ofinorganic trace analysis, where atomicspectroscopy was of little help, thedetermination of the common non-metalanions. Helped by the renaissance inliquid chromatography in the 1970s, nowcommonly called HPLC, Hamish Smallannounced in 1975 the invention of thepellicular anion exchange resin columnlinked to suppressed conductivitydetection for the high speed separationand determination of chloride, nitrate,nitrite, bromide, sulphate and phosphateetc. This technique became known asion chromatography and quickly becameestablished as the main method of anionanalysis, replacing the time consumingand involved chemical methods at thetime. The original patents ran out sometime ago and a number of companies nowoffer ion chromatography instrumentationcontaining not only suppressed and non-suppressed conductivity detection, butalso other detection systems such as thosebased on UV-vis absorbance. Ionchromatography is now routinely usedby many agencies such as watercompanies and environmental agenciesto monitor the quality of potable, naturaland wastewaters. Nitrate monitoring isperhaps the most well known example,where pollution from fertilized land run-off is a common occurrence.

Further developments and improvementsin ion chromatography separation anddetection are continuing as mentionedabove to meet even more challengingenvironmental analyses. One such is therecent concern over the presence ofbromate in drinking water produced bythe oxidation of bromide duringdisinfecting procedures, particularly whenusing ozone. Bromate is consideredhighly carcinogenic and strict very lowlimits of less than 1 ppb have been set bya number of environmental agencies. Ionchromatography methods have beendeveloped to achieve this, interestinglyexploiting an old colorimetric procedurefor highly sensitive and selectivedetection. This is accomplished using an

on-line post column reaction where theseparated bromate oxidises iodide toiodine and the absorbance measured by aUV-vis detector.

Another area where ion chromatographyis likely to be increasingly used is in themonitoring of trace toxic metals. Ionchromatography instrumentation isbecoming smaller and can be used in areaswhere atomic spectrometers will beexpensive or difficult to use, or even indangerous locations such as oil rigs. Thedevelopment of new separation systemsinvolving metal chelating ion exchangematerials will also allow the analysis ofsamples of high salt content such asseawater and estuarine water. So, 60 yearsafter the invention of the ion exchangeresin column, predominantly for metalseparations, we are likely to see ionchromatography return as an importanttechnique for trace metal determinationsin environmental systems.

Dr PHIL. JONES,School of Earth,Ocean and Environmental Sciences,University of Plymouth, Plymouth,Devon PL4 8AA

Web link: Peter E. Jackson, IonChromatography in EnvironmentalAnalysis. In Encyclopedia of AnalyticalChemistry, R.A. Meyers (Ed.), pp. 2779–2801, John Wiley & Sons Ltd,Chichester, 2000.http: / /www.separat ionsnow.com/repository/pdfs/0835-_a.pdf

Phil. Jones’ interests include theapplication of high-performancechelation ion chromatography, asillustrated by the following publications:Shaw, M.J., Cowan, J. and Jones, P.(2003) Fabrication of an aurintricarboxylic acid immobilized chelatingpolymer for the ion chromatographicdetermination of trace metal ions inhighly mineralized waters. AnalyticalLetters 36, 423-439.Shaw, M.J., Jones, P. and Nesterenko,P.N. (2002) Dynamic chelation ionchromatography of transition and heavymetal ions using a mobile phasecontaining 4-chlorodipicolinic acid.Journal of Chromatography A 953, 141-150.

It is probably true to say that ionchromatography has a rather low profilewhen compared to its more “glamorous”high performance liquid separationrelatives such as LC-MS.

For example, how many localChromatography Society meetings havebeen devoted to ion chromatographydevelopments in the last 10 years? Notmany I’ll wager. Nevertheless, ionchromatography plays a very importantpart in some key areas of environmentalanalysis, mainly concerning natural andwastewaters. There have also been anumber of important recent developmentsin separation and detection extending therange of analytes and sample typesavailable to the technique.

The term “ion chromatography” strictlyincludes a number of high performanceion separation techniques, including ionexchange, ion exclusion, and ion pairing.But ion exchange is by far the mostcommon system employed.

Looked at historically, ion exchange hashad rather a chequered career in termsof popularity and importance. It isprobably stretching credence a littlewhen we are told by a number ofreviewers that ion exchange was firstmentioned in the Old Testament as a wayof cleaning up the waters of Mâr’-ah,which were bitter, by using a tree, “whichwhen . . . cast into the waters, the waterswere made sweet”. (Exodus, 15:25).Assuming that the toxicity is due tometals, the explanation is that oxidisedlignin, presumably in the bark, containsa high concentration of carboxyl groupswhich when ionised in water will act asion exchange sites for metal absorption,not unlike water purifiers today.

Notwithstanding this rather imaginativeearly example, ion exchange really cameinto prominence in the 1940s when theinvention of polystyrene-based ionexchange resin led to the efficient andmuch less time consuming (well, at leastto those at the time) separation of thelanthanides and actinides – supersedingthe incredibly tedious chemical separationmethods. After that ion exchangegradually became restricted to a few nicheareas, particularly after the dawn of the


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Truscott, J.B., Jones, P., Fairman, B.E.and Evans, E.H. (2001) Determinationof actinides in environmental andbiological samples using high-performance chelation ion chromatographycoupled to sector-field inductivelycoupled plasma mass spectrometry.Journal of Chromatography A 928, 91-98.Jones, P. (2000) Major sensitivityimprovements in ion chromatography

determinations involving post-columnspectrophotometric reaction detectorsthrough elimination of pump noise usinga dual wavelength monitoring procedure.Analyst (London) 125, 803-806.Shaw, M.J., Hill, S.J., Jones, P. andNesterenko, P.N. (2000) Determinationof beryllium in a stream sediment byhigh-performance chelation ionchromatography. Journal of

Chromatography A 876, 127-133.Shaw, M.J., Hill, S.J., Jones, P. andNesterenko, P.N. (2000) Determinationof uranium in environmental matrices bychelation ion chromatography using ahigh performance substrate dynamicallymodified with 2,6-pyridinedicarboxylicacid. Chromatographia 51, 695-700.

Evaluating air qualityConcern about the environ-mental impact of aircraft willbe a key factor in the futuredevelopment of Britain’sairports. But what analyticalmethods are available formeasuring aircraft emissions?Kim Cooke, a committeemember of the ECG, explainsthe use of remote opticalmeasurement techniques formonitoring air pollution at UKairports and other urban andindustrial sites.

Remote optical measurementtechniques

Remote optical measurement techniques(ROMTs) have the great advantage overother more conventional techniques formeasuring gaseous pollutants in that theycan perform real time, in-situ gas analysisalong an open path. Although there havebeen notable advances in ROMTs inrecent years resulting in greater reliability,more portable systems and overalldecrease in cost (always a very decisivefactor), there is still resistance to usingthem for routine monitoring of emissionsand air quality. The primary reason forthis is that there is still no standardisationbetween systems. This is highlightedparticularly well in the World HealthOrganisation’s guidelines for air quality(WHO, 2000), where four out of six ofthe main “classic” pollutants SO2, NO2,CO and O3 can be measured using remoteoptical sensors. However, they point outthe techniques available do not conformto ISO7996 (ISO1985b), hence stress the

need to pay careful attention to instrumentcalibration and quality assurance to obtainmeaningful data.

ROMTs have already proved theirusefulness for a variety of applications,including assessing ambient air qualityin urban environments monitoringconcentrations of fugitive, toxic orpotentially explosive gases in processplants and petrochemical sites and themeasurement of motor vehicle or aircraftexhaust emissions. However, while thesemethods offer the advantage of beingable to measure over significantly longpaths, often several hundred metres, theuncertainties also associated with pointmeasurements due to dispersion andother interfering mechanisms, become afactor. In the case of open pathmeasurements, this has often placeddoubt on the confidence in the collecteddata. Nonetheless, many typicalapplications for which remote opticalsensors are used offer no superioralternative. Where the emission sourceis mobile and unconstrained, for examplean aircraft, extractive monitoring is lessattractive. A monitoring system at arunway end is a much more preferablethan a measurement system fitted to eachaircraft.

Remote Optical SensingEvaluation (ROSE)

With ever more air quality legislation andnational and international strategies onthe horizon, governmental bodies, localauthorities and industry alike are undermore pressure to deploy monitoringsystems in which there is a high degreeof confidence in the data produced.Within the context of futurestandardisation legislation, a European

initiative has been embarked upon todetermine critical performance factorsfor ROMTs (CEN/TC 264/WG 18). Aspart of this initiative a Europeanconsortium has been formed withinFramework 5’s Competitive andSustainable Growth programme to carryout a project on Remote Optical SensingEvaluation (ROSE). The primaryobjectives of ROSE are the determinationof “Best Practice” and performancestandards, along with a firm theoreticalfoundation on which to support suchstatements (ROSE project, GR6D-CT2000-00434). It addresses theproblems associated with system andcertification approval by inter-comparingfive diverse commercially availableROMTs under both field and laboratoryconditions. The measurement techniquesincluded differential optical absorptionspectroscopy (DOAS), tuneable diodelaser spectroscopy (TDLAS), Fouriertransform infrared and ultravioletspectroscopy (FTIR and FTUV), as wellas differential optical absorption lightdetection and ranging spectroscopy(DIAL-LIDAR). Working alongsidethese techniques, the project also utilizesthe advances in Computational FluidDynamics (CFD) modelling to reduce theuncertainties in the measurementsinduced by dispersion.

Remote optical measurementtechniques used by ROSE

The ROSE project inter-compares thebasic approaches, as well as focusing ona comprehensive suite of gaseouspollutants, all of which are pertinent tocurrent and future legislation. Table 1summarizes the instruments available tothe ROSE project, as well the pollutantsthat can be measured.


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Assessment of instrumentperformance

The diversity of remote opticaltechniques used in ROSE highlights thedifficulty in defining comprehensiveperformance parameters on which to

and although ROMTs were specificallyexcluded, it acts as a suitable startingpoint. The primary performanceparameters focused on by ROSE areillustrated in Table 2.

Table 1: Instrument type and capabilities available to ROSE

Instrument Pollutant Beam path Limit ofdetection

Polytron ToxLine (FTUV) NO2, NO, SO2, NH3, O3, benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene,Dräger Safety GmbH xylene, (BTEX), styrene, H2S, 1,3-butadiene 10-200m 1-30 ppm.m

Safeye 256 (IR DOAS) Total HC (C1-C8), calibrated for ethene 30-90m 0.2 LEL.mSpectronix Ltd

Safeye 424 (UV DOAS) Benzene, toluene, xylene (BTX), NH3 30-100m 8 ppm.mSpectronix Ltd

Safeye 414 (UV DOAS) H2S 30-100m 8 ppm.mSpectronix Ltd

DIAL LIDAR (IR/UV) Benzene, toluene, p-xylene, NO etc (UV), ethene, ethane, 50-1200m 5-50 ppbSpectrasyne Ltd CH4, C3H8, C3H6, C4s, HC-cocktails, cyclohexane, various (DOC) (DOC)

chlorinated and sulphurous hydrocarbon species, etc, etc.(IR). Speciated HCs and aromatics with sorption tubes.

Unicam Mattson Research H2O, CO2, O3, N2O, CO, CH4, NO, SO2, NO2, NH3, HF, 10-100m ppm levelSeries FTIR HCl, SF6, alkanes, alkenes, and alkynes, BTXReading University

Bomem 100 FTIR H2O, CO2, O3, N2O, CO, CH4, NO, SO2, NO2, NH3, HF, 10-100m ppm levelSira HCl, SF6, alkanes, alkenes, and alkynes, BTX

TDLAS (NIR) CH4, NH3, HCl, HF (CO, CO2, HCN, N2O, H2O) Up to 100m 10-75ppm.mNorsk Elektro Optikk

(LoD: Limit of Detection; DOC: Depending on Conditions; NIR: near infrared)

assess all the instrumentation. Ittherefore follows that performanceparameters should be based on theapplication rather than the instrumentitself. Performance parameters havealready been defined for ambient airquality measurements by the UKcertification scheme MCERTS (1998)

Table 2: Performance parameters

Performance parameters for ambient air quality Additional parameters for ROMTsmonitoring instrumentsLaboratory and field repeatability (standard deviation) View geometry/beam profile, including path limitationsZero and span drift Calibration technique/algorithmAccuracy of measurement of known reference Instrument lineshape (including effects of processingconcentrations algorithms)Detection limit and quantification limit Effect of dispersion phenomenaAveraging of short-term fluctuations Effect of direct solar radiationLinear fit Effect of obscuration phenomena (fog, smoke etc.)Cross sensitivity to interfering substancesInfluence of atmospheric pressure and temperatureSusceptibility to physical disturbances

Complementary techniques

In practice, defining the performanceparameters in isolation to assess ROMTsdoes not validate instrumentperformance. To be of any use, ROMTshave to be operated under real-worldconditions and, in common with allmonitoring techniques, are susceptible to

meteorological conditions and dispersioneffects, especially along the beam-pathof the instrument. Thus the assessmentof ROMTs has to take in to accountexternal environmental conditions.Making complimentary meteorologicalmeasurements and carrying outnumerical modelling of the site where theinstrumentation is set up aids the

understanding of the external parametersinvolved. Thus definition of ‘BestPractice’ in the positioning and use ofremote optical sensing instruments is ofparamount importance to limit the effectof environmental conditions on dataobtained. Numerical and physicalmodelling techniques are particularlyuseful tools in this area.


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ROSE field trialsIn order to assess the instrumentsavailable to the ROSE project under realconditions a number of field trials wereembarked upon. The sites were chosenspecifically with the instruments in mind,rather than focusing on a specificmeasurement problem. Over the last twoyears four field trials have been carriedout at two industrial sites, in an urbanstreet canyon, and at an airport.

The first field trial took place in thewinter of 2001 at an ethylene crackingplant in the UK. All the ROSE systemsparticipated, and it was an idealopportunity to look at obscurationphenomena i.e. fog. The field trial wasa success in that a great deal was learntabout the instruments and they had toperform far from ideal conditions.

The next field trial took place in the latespring of 2002 at the largest producer ofliquefied petroleum gas (LPG) in Europe,based in Norway. This was a very“clean” industrial site, which allowed theinstruments to be tested close to theirlimits of detection under a variety ofdifferent meteorological conditions.

An urban street canyon in Bremen,Germany was chosen as the third site fora trial, which took place in the winter of2002. Here carbon monoxide was themain species of interest, as this is an

important gas in terms of local air quality.There was good agreement between theinstruments measuring carbon monoxidewith the concentrations being highlydependent on traffic volume. It isinteresting to note that the long pathmeasurements (Sira & Reading FTIR)exhibited a greater correlation with trafficvolume than the point measurements.

The fourth and final field trial was heldthis summer at Gatwick airport. Theinstruments were set up at either side ofthe taxiway, so that emissions fromaircraft could be measured directly, asthey passed through the beam-path.Some work was also done to look at theemissions at take-off and landing ofaircraft. The results from this field trialwill be known later this year.

ConclusionsROSE is in the process of carrying outwork in the area of quality assessment andcontrol methodologies for remote opticalmeasurement techniques, as part of themeasurement and testing activitiesin Framework 5’s Competitive andSustainable Growth programme (1999).The work out to date will support futureEuropean legislation concerning the useof remote optical sensing instruments, andhelp to provide a basis for harmonisationof these techniques. The project focuseson increasing the available knowledge

about ROMTs and thereby aids theprovision of a common standard tosupport future legislative frameworks.This will allow remote opticalmeasurement techniques to be used morewidely in enforcement or compliancemonitoring applications. Only once it ispossible to achieve type approval againsta published European or Internationalstandard, will it be acceptable for theenforcement agencies involved to act onthe basis data from remote opticalmeasuring instruments. The aim of ROSEis therefore to be able to demonstratethrough type approval that remote opticalinstruments perform with a defined levelof certainty, and through certificationtesting to demonstrate that specificinstruments are compliant.

Acknowledgements

The ROSE (Remote Optical SensingEvaluation) project, project contract no.GR6D-CT2000-00434 is funded by theEuropean Commission’s Competitiveand Sustainable Growth Programme.

Dr KIM M. COOKE,Sira Ltd, South Hill,Chislehurst, Kent, BR7 [email protected]

Web link: Remote optical measurementtechniques http://rose.primariatm.ro/rose_04.html

EPA Framework for Metals Risk AssessmentThe December issue of theJournal of EnvironmentalMonitoring features an articleon the United States Environ-mental Protection Agency’s(EPA) Framework for MetalsRisk Assessment. The completearticle has been kindly madeavailable to the EnvironmentalChemistry Group, and isavailable as a Web link to theelectronic version of thisedition of the ECG Bulletin.

The U.S. EPA has a series of programsfor deciding whether and how to regulatemetals based upon their toxicity. Thesedecisions can include setting regulatorystandards for environmental releases,

establishing safe levels in differentenvironmental media, and settingpriorities for regulatory or voluntaryefforts. In order to ensure a consistentscientifically valid approach toconducting risk assessments of metals,the U.S. EPA has undertaken thedevelopment of a Framework for MetalsRisk Assessment to standardize theassessment processes across the variousPrograms and to increase the scientificvalidity of regulatory decision-making.As a first step in this process, the U.S.EPA developed a peer reviewed MetalsAction Plan that lays out the areas wheremetals differ significantly from organicsubstances in their environmental fate oreffects, and provides a path forward fordeveloping cross-Agency guidance. Thefive main areas are:

1. Bioavailability and Bioaccumulationof Metals

2. Ecological Effects of Metals

3. Metal Exposure Assessment4. Environmental Chemistry of Metals5. Human Health Effects of Metals

The U.S. EPA commissioned thedevelopment of Issue Papers on theseareas and solicited public input throughinvited workshops and by open publiccomment periods. The resulting draftpapers demonstrate the complexities ofconducting metals risk assessments.These issues as well as the scope andprocess for developing a U.S. EPAFramework for Metals Risk Assessmentare described in the Journal ofEnvironmental Monitoring article. Thearticle’s authors are all members of atechnical workgroup in the U.S. EPA’sRisk Assessment Forum in the Office ofResearch and Development.

Web link: EPA Framework for MetalsRisk Assessment


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Web site reviewThis is the first in a series ofshort reviews of web sites thatare of potential interest toEnvironmental ChemistryGroup members.

www.scienceinthebox.com

http://www.scienceinthebox.com will befamiliar to ECG members who attendedthe joint meeting with the AnalyticalDivision East Anglia Region on‘Ecotoxicology – Monitoring and Caringfor our Environment’ in Cambridge lastOctober, where one of the authors(Erwan Saouter, Proctor & Gamble)described the site. The aim of http://www.scienceinthebox.com is to explainto a wider audience, outside the scientificcommunity, human & environmental riskassessment and life cycle assessment.

So, is this a useful scientific andeducational site or just a clever marketingtool? I believe that it is largely the formerand a useful resource for students,environmental scientists and consumers(although this area is a little morecommercial), who may have an interestin detergents, and other consumer

products, and their impact on theenvironment.

The site itself is structured in layers withthe top three layers contain basicinformation for a general audience.However, the deeper levels are moretechnical and detailed. The site includessix main sections:

• Product information• Safety• Research and development• Sustainability• Scientific publications; and• Programmes and commitments.

There is a glossary of technical terms andchemical functional definitions. Aparticular useful feature is the scientificpublications section - a list of 538publications with a search facility(author, year of publication, scientificjournal, title, keywords and abstract).Although only the abstract is provided,the full reference is quoted to facilitateaccess to the full article.

One of the features I found mostinteresting, however, was the section onSpecial Topics. This has two sections,

the first on ‘Partnerships andProgrammes’, which covers links withother organisations, and academia andthe second entitled ‘Science at a Glance’.This latter section is a series of articles,based on a set of questions and answers,about detergents and cleaning products.One example from this section covers‘natural’ and ‘synthetic’ surfactants. Thisis a thirteen page overview coveringstructures, usage, production,biodegradability (with data), toxicity, lifecycle analysis, energy use, waste steams,environmental impact and somereferences for further reading. Althoughthis is not research level material, it doesprovide a lot of useful backgroundinformation. Other parts of the web sitecover issues such as the methodology toaccess human and environmental safetyand product and chemical safety data.

If you are interested in detergents andcleaning products, and their impact onthe environment, I would suggest thatthis web site is well worth a look.

STEVE HILL,University of PlymouthDecember 2003

News of the RSC’s Environment, Health and Safety CommitteeDr Steven Lipworth has recently takenover responsibility at Burlington Housefor coordinating the work of theEnvironment, Health and SafetyCommittee (EHSC). Steven hasexperience as a policy analyst and ascientific adviser in the public and privatesector, having previously qualified witha Masters degree in marineenvironmental toxicology and aDoctorate in environmental economicsand policy. In 1997 he was awarded athree-year Wellcome Fellowship toconduct science and technology policyresearch projects at the Royal Society,and during this period Steven co-ordinated several ad-hoc working groupsthat formulated submissions in responseto Government and Parliamentary SelectCommittee enquiries.

Recent activities of the EHSC includea revision of its Notes on COSHH inLaboratories and on Individual Legal

Responsibilities for Health and Safety atWork.An EHSC Working Party on the EU’sREACH regulations has developed theRSC’s position on this controversiallegislation. The Society’s position onREACH can be summarised as follows:

1. The European Commission proposalfor a new regulatory framework for thecontrol of chemicals is arguably themost significant development oncontrolling chemicals in the Europeanmarketplace for many decades. Underthe proposed new system calledREACH (Registration, Evaluation andAuthorisation of CHemicals),enterprises that manufacture or importmore than one tonne of a chemicalsubstance per year would be requiredto register it in a central database.REACH gives greater responsibility toindustry to manage the risks fromchemicals and removes the distinction

between ‘existing’ (listed in the 1981EINECS inventory) and ‘new’chemicals.

2. The RSC finds the latest version of‘REACH’ to be more balanced andmore pragmatic than earlier versions.However, we still have significantconcerns about the workability ofsome aspects of the proposal and theresources and expertise available forcoping with REACH. In principle theSociety would welcome a singleharmonised regime for assessing andcontrolling the effects of chemicals onhealth and the environment.

3. Among the key issues that the Societywould like to stress are that:a. REACH is based on risk rather

than on intrinsic hazard alone, ashazard is not a good measure ofthe actual threat that a substanceposes to humans or theenvironment.


13

b. REACH should be compatiblewith existing and proposedinternational initiatives on thecontrol of chemicals.

c. REACH should only require datathat has real value. This isparticularly true for ‘existingchemicals’ that have been in usefor many years with no apparentadverse effects.

d. One particular concern is thatREACH could lead to usefulchemicals ceasing to be availablebecause they generate insufficientprofit to cover the cost of testing.

e. The Society fully supports theprinciple of transparency underREACH. However, a balanceneeds to be found between

transparency and commercialconfidentiality.

f. REACH should not inhibitinnovation. If the Commissionequates innovation withsubstitution, this strategy isunlikely to lead to true innovation.

The Environment, Health and SafetyCommittee is the RSC’s focus forprofessional and policy aspects of theenvironment, health and safety. Thecommittee aims to:

• Provide a service to members byanswering members’ e-mail, postaland telephone enquiries and bypublishing guidance booklets andshort papers.

• Make representations in the public

interest to ensure that public policyand legislation are based on goodchemical science.

• Ensure that public awareness ofhealth, safety and environmentalissues is based on a properunderstanding of the chemistryinvolved, e.g. by producingpublications aimed at the public andprofessional briefs to help membersdisseminate information on topics ofpublic interest.

For further information on EHSCactivities and publications, pleasecontact:Steven Lipworth, Royal Society ofChemistry, Burlington House, Piccadilly,London W1J 0BA, UK, tel +44 (0) 207440 3337, fax +44 (0) 20 7437 8883,Email [email protected]

Forthcoming events and symposia20 February 2004Analysis for Endocrine DisruptorsAt the Central Science Laboratory, SandHutton, York. Organised by the N. E.Region of the RSC’s Analytical Division.For further details contact WarwickAnderson, CSL, York on 01904 462561or [email protected] or MicDaniel, Environment Agency, NLS,Leeds on 0113 2312003 orm i c . d a n i e l @ e n v i r o n m e n t -agency.gov.uk.

24 February 2004RSC John Jeyes Endowed LectureThe Role of Ocean-AtmosphereExchanges in the Chemistry of the EarthProfessor Peter Liss (UEA)At the University of Wales, Swansea. Forfurther details contact, Dr Peter Douglas on01792 205678 or [email protected]

26 February 2004Radioactive Waste and EnvironmentalMolecular ScienceProfessor Francis Livens(Radiochemistry Centre, University ofManchester).At the Chase Hotel, Whitehaven,Cumbria. Organised by RSC CumbriaSection. For further details contact AlexJenkins on 01946 774597 [email protected]

1 March 2004The Changing Atmosphere

Dr Paul Monks (University of Leicester)At Keele University, Staffordshire.Organised by the RSC North Stafford-shire Section. For further details contactDavid McGarvey on 01782 584142 [email protected]

2 March 2004Environmental and Human HealthImpacts of Endocrine DisruptingChemicalsAt SCI International Headquarters, 14/15 Belgrave Square, London SW1X 8PS.Organised by SCI Bioactive SciencesGroup. For further details contact DrRichard Greenwood on 02392 842065 [email protected]

3 March 2004ECG Distinguished Guest Lecture &SymposiumEnvironmental Chemistry From SpaceAt the Linnean Society of London,Burlington House, Piccadilly, London.Speakers are Professor John Burrows(University of Bremen), Professor JimAiken (Plymouth Marine Laboratory)and Dr Paul Monks (University ofLeicester). For further details contactMichael Leggett on 02089967107 [email protected]

10 March 2004The Role of Ocean-AtmosphereExchanges in the Chemistry of theEarth

At the University of Aberdeen.Organised by the RSC Aberdeen andNorth Scotland Section with ProfessorPeter Liss, University of Anglia as themain speaker. For further details contactMarcel Jaspars on 01224 272895 [email protected]

29 & 30 March 2004Environmental Technology: DiagnosticsAt Herriot Watt University, Edinburgh.Organised by the RSC Water ScienceForum. For further details contact KevinPrior on 01535 635128 [email protected]

20 & 21 April 2004Monitoring Indoor Air Pollution(MIAP): 2nd International ConferenceAt Manchester Metropolitan University.Organised by ISBE with the supportof ARIC. For further details contactDr Ivan Gee on 0161 2471592 [email protected] or visitwww.doc.mmu.ac.uk/aric/conference/miap2004.html

25 June 2004Young Environmental ChemistsMeeting 2004At Sira, Chislehurst, Kent. Organised bythe RSC Environmental ChemistryGroup. For further details contact Dr KimCooke, Sira Technology Ltd on 020 84681720 or [email protected]


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Book reviewThe Clean Air Revolution: 1952to 2052. Marking 50 years sincethe Great London Smog

Clean Air and Environmental Protection,Winter 2002, 32 (4), pp 75, £10.00.ISBN 0903 474 56 5 (www.nsca.org.uk)

This publication has been produced bythe National Society for Clean Air andEnvironmental Protection and consists ofthirteen short chapters on air pollutionand related legislation in the UK.

Part One consists of four chapters thatreview UK air pollution from 1952 –2002. Chapter One (“The Great LondonSmog – Effects and Repercussions” byPeter Brimblecombe) reviews thecircumstances and context of the 1952December smog and reflects on its

impact on legislative attempts to improveair quality. Derek Elsom (“Smog – morethan a London Problem”) then discussespollution episodes all over the UK pre-2002 with an excellent introduction tolate-19th and 20th century aspects of airpollution.

Part Two is rather more complex,covering 2002 – 2052 and sets out thechallenges that face governments acrossthe world now that the implications oftransboundary pollution are beingrealised. There are chapters dealing withkey pollutants (PM10s, ozone), theirimpacts on health and ecosystems, andsome of the work underway on new fuelsand new sources of pollution. RoyHarrison’s contribution (“Key Pollutants– Airborne Particles”) is authoritative andsuccinct and the chapters on ozone(Derwent et al) and health (Robert

Maynard) are excellent introductoryarticles. Longhurst et al discuss thereductions in air pollutants over the UKwhilst Richard Mills advises againstcomplacency, as industrial andtechnological improvements may beover-ridden by increased numbers ofvehicles on the roads.

This NSCA publication is concise andinformative. The illustrations are wellchosen and illuminating and there are anumber of good web site references. Thebook is an excellent teaching resourceand would be valuable for sixth forms,colleges and introductory HE courses.The publication is well referencedthroughout and uniquely affordable at £10.

MIRANDA FLANNIGAN,Cornwall College,Pool, Redruth, Cornwall

Society for EnvironmentalGeochemistry and Health22nd European Conference

SEGH 2004

SEGH 2004 will be hosted by Sussex University on 5 &7 April 2004. Lectures and posters will be presented onall aspects of environmental geochemistry, and its impactson health. Contributions on the characterisation andremediation of contaminated land, and on studies oforganic contaminants in any setting, will be especiallywelcome. Papers are invited from students and post-doctoral fellows, as well as from established researchers.Prizes will be awarded to the best oral and posterpresentations by postgraduate research students.

Registration and Abstract SubmissionDetails

The deadline for abstract submission and cheap/earlyregistration is February 20th 2004. The abstracts formatshould be downloaded from the web site and submittedas e-mail attachments to: [email protected].

Further details including a registration form, and how toapply for a limited number of student bursaries, can beobtained from the web site: http://www.sussex.ac.uk/conferences/segh/

RSC EnvironmentalChemistry Group

Young EnvironmentalChemists Meeting 200425th June 2004

@ Sira, Chislehurst, Kent

The meeting is intended as a forum for youngenvironmental chemists to present and discuss theirresearch and to meet fellow researchers.

For further information contact:

Dr Kim Cooke,Sira Technology Ltd,South Hill,Chislehurst,Kent BR7 5EHTel: 020 8468 1720E-mail: [email protected]


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New books on the environment from the RSCPublished in 2003

Sustainability and EnvironmentalImpact of Renewable Energy SourcesIssues in Environmental Science &Technology, No. 19R. E. Hester and R. M. Harrison (eds.)£45.00 (Members’ price: £29.25)h t t p : / / w w w. r s c . o r g / C F b o o k s /issueindex.cfm?BID=IS003019

Catalysis in Application(Proceedings)S. D. Jackson, D. Lennon, J. S. J.Hargreaves (eds.)£99.95 (Members’ price: £64.75)h t t p : / / w w w. r s c . o r g / i s / b o o k s /catinapp.htm

Plasma Source Spectrometry:

Applications and EmergingTechnologies(Proceedings)J. G. Holland and S. D. Tanner (eds.)£99.95 (Members’ price: £64.75)h t t p : / / w w w. r s c . o r g / i s / b o o k s /plasmasource.htm

Chemical Formulation: An Overviewof Surfactant Based PreparationsUsed in Everyday LifeA. E. Hargreaves£23.95 (Members’ price: £15.50)h t t p : / / w w w. r s c . o r g / i s / b o o k s /chemform.htm

Environmental RadiochemicalAnalysis II(Proceedings)P. Warwick (ed.)£99.95 (Members’ price: £64.75)

h t t p : / / w w w. r s c . o r g / i s / b o o k s /radiochemical.htm

To be published in 2004

Hyphenated Techniques in SpeciationAnalysis(RSC Chromatography Monographs)

£79.95 (Members’ Price: £51.75)

Water Contamination Emergencies:Can We Cope?(Proceedings)K. C. Thompson (ed.)

Mass Spectrometry: A FoundationCourseK. Downard

Meeting report: International conference on chrysotile asbestos-cement productsJohn Hoskins, Editor ofJournal of Indoor and BuiltEnvironment, who representsthe Occupational and Environ-mental Toxicology Group onthe ECG Committee, reports ona conference held in November2003 at the Taj Palace Hotel,New Delhi, India.

I was recently invited to speak at anInternational Conference on ChrysotileAsbestos-Cement Products hosted by theIndian Asbestos-Cement ProductsManufacturers’ Association. It was a largemeeting attended by around 240 delegateswith representation from all the majorproducing countries. The calm andscientific atmosphere of the meeting wasa wonderful change from the ignoranceand hysterical pseudo-science thataccompanies any mention of asbestos ata meeting in the UK. We know that theair we breathe often contains aconsiderable burden of unwantedpollution but why the presence andconcentration of one of the very minorcomponents should become a causecélèbre in a several countries is difficult

to explain. Exposure to asbestos in the UKis now widely considered to be a brushwith death. All the asbestos types havebeen thoroughly demonised through anorchestrated attack by the media, lawyersand asbestos removal contractors,peddling any number of stories few ofwhich have any truck with scientificreality. The result is that there is now greatpublic fear and trembling whenever thename asbestos is mentioned.

The study of exposure to airbornemineral fibres is a fascinating one andresearch on the subject is very active.Regrettably, the results of this work arenot widely disseminated in this countryand are largely ignored by legislators andthe courts, who have set themselves upas protectors of the common herd –although there are at last signs that theirintransigence is weakening. Asbestos issaid to be a dangerous material, andwithout doubt some types in some formscertainly are very dangerous to health.Chrysotile Asbestos-Cement Productswhere a small amount of fibre is boundin a cement matrix are not dangerous,every study of them from manufactureto disposal agrees. Occupational healthstudies have always given them a cleanbill of health. However, vested interests

selling alternative products have won aEU wide ban on their production. Thereason for the ban, which is going aheadagainst the wishes of several EUcountries, is not because membercountries are following some greenagenda or have concern for the health oftheir people it is because there is moneyto be made by doing so. At least for thosecountries, principally France andGermany, who will benefit the most andwho have driven the process forwards.UK legislation hot on the heels of the banhas invoked the criminal law. To exposeothers, it seems, to even the sight of anasbestos product, is now a major crimepunishable by severe penalties.Experience is showing that too often thecase for the prosecution requires ratherless evidence than that needed in themiddle ages to secure a conviction forwitchcraft. I do not exaggerate.

None of this is to dismiss the risks ofexposure to some asbestos types but thereis science and there is junk science. Hereis the science. The commercial nameasbestos refers to six natural mineralfibres. Five of these are amphiboles[silicate and aluminosilicate mineralswhich form fibrous or columnar crystals]including crocidolite or blue asbestos.


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These minerals are no longer produced.The sixth mineral is a serpentine mineralchrysotile or white asbestos, whichaccounts for some 98% of all asbestosever mined.

Asbestos minerals have been mined forover a century although only type,chrysotile (white asbestos), is mined today– but that still in millions of tonnes perannum. An unfortunate legacy fromuncontrolled early use is an epidemic ofdisease resulting from exposure to, inparticular, amphibole types of asbestos.The lungs are delicate organs and theirphysical assault by abrasive minerals cancause permanent damage that may leadto cancer. Durable mineral fibres seemparticularly good at causing such damagebecause their morphology makes removaldifficult. As a consequence amphiboleasbestos types, which are extremelydurable in the lungs, are now banned inmost countries of the world, althoughinterestingly not in the USA, but there aresevere limitations on use. The case forbanning amphibole materials is sound,that for banning chrysotile is much lessso. As noted, the moves to ban all asbestostypes rides ahead of so-called alternativeproducts; cellulose and mineral woolinsulants, galvanised iron and other typesof corrugated sheeting, plastic pipes anda host of other products. These areinvariably more expensive than similarchrysotile products, provide often inferiorreplacements and have a health and safetyrecord no better, and often worse than thematerials they are replacing.

In the beginning of the modern phase ofasbestos mining and production the highlevel of pneumoconiotic diseaseassociated with dusty trades such asasbestos textile manufacture was putdown to tuberculosis and thisundoubtedly was a confounder. Datasuggesting that asbestos might also beimplicated in lung cancer accumulatedslowly over the years. But it was not untilthe classic paper of Wagner in 1960giving data from South Africa, whichshowed that there was a considerableexcess of the rare tumour mesotheliomain people, who worked in, or liveddownwind of, crocidolite mines, that realconcern was shown. For the first time itwas realised that people who did notwork with asbestos but who lived near acrocidolite mine were sufficientlyexposed to develop disease.

The American government went over thetop and published a report from theOccupational Health and SafetyAdministration (OSHA) based, so faras can be established on no factswhatsoever, saying that there would soonbe 2,000,000 asbestos related deaths perannum in the US. The fears wereawakened of a world pandemic ofasbestos related deaths by the year 2000as a result of the increase in ambientlevels. Fortunately such a disaster has notmaterialised nor on the available factswas it ever remotely likely.

Unfortunately, the result of the scare-mongering is the situation we have todaywhere there exists in the public mind theidea that all asbestos minerals aredangerous and worse still that they aredangerous at extremely low exposurelevels. There is no rational or scientificbasis for this belief.

Outside of Europe, some 90% of thecountries of the world still regardchrysotile as a material of commerce.Whether it will remain so depends on howpolitically independent the countries areand whether they can see through themachinations of the EU parliament.Countries such as India are muchinfluenced by ‘mother England’.However, initial worries in India,following on from the EU ban, have beenovercome. It is accepted that the healtheffects are largely the result of earlierapplications where there wasindiscriminate use bereft of pollutioncontrols and that amphibole products werelargely to blame. The Supreme Court ofIndia has thrown out claims againstasbestos cement on the grounds that thepetitioners could not supply evidence thatthe materials were dangerous to health.(A similar situation to that in the USAwhere attempts to ban chrysotile productswere thrown out by the Fifth Court ofAppeal, in part on the grounds that theplaintiffs, the EPA, could not show thatalternatives were any safer when it wasdemonstrable that in some cases they wereless so. Also in Brazil, one of the largestproducers and users of chrysotile, where,in June 2001, the Supreme Court rejecteda petition by activists to ban asbestoscement production.)

The importance of asbestos cement toIndia lies in an industry that suppliesimportant components for developing the

infrastructure of the poorer parts of thecountry. While the economies of Westerncountries are governed more by labourthan material costs the opposite is thecase in India. Here, materials costs areof the essence. Greater materials costsmeans the difference between a villagegetting clean piped water or not or afamily having a home or not. At thepresent time the asbestos cement industryis providing affordable materials thatperform better than the alternatives.Consider which is more preferable, lifein a hut made of corrugated sheeting withan outside temperature of 45˚C when thehut is made from galvanised iron or fromcement. Then consider another commonfact of Indian weather: in a cyclonecorrugated iron sheeting ripped fromroofs is a deadly weapon, cementsheeting shatters and presents a fractionof the danger. The cement huts also lastabout ten times longer than the iron ones.

Finally, look at anomalies created by themost important recent studies. It has longbeen known that the main reason whychrysotile is comparatively harmlesscompared to the amphiboles is its lowdurability in vivo. Short fibre chrysotilehas been shown to be cleared from thelungs over a matter of days (amphibolesmay never clear). This has been knownfor a long time. Now, a long fibrechrysotile produced in Brazil has beenshown to be largely cleared in a day.Most chrysotile is cleared quicker thanglass and mineral wools and muchquicker than ceramic fibres. Thesematerials, although also suspect humancarcinogens, are the preferred higher costalternatives. The clearance of chrysotileis well within the time defined formaterials classified as nuisance dusts.

India is to be congratulated for listeningto the science and looking to the pressingneeds of its vast population. Closingaddresses at the meeting by Shri SahibSingh Verma, Minister of Labour andShri Bandaru Dattatreya, Minister forUrban Development and PovertyAlleviation show the importanceattached to the meeting by the IndianGovernment. ‘Mother England’ must livewith her nose cut off.

Dr J. A. HOSKINS,Reigate, SurreyDecember 2003


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Meeting report: Monitoring exposure to air pollution“ ... the air ... this brave o’er-hanging firmament, thismajestical roof fretted withgolden fire – why, it appearethno other thing to me than a fouland pestilent congregation ofvapours.”

Hamlet, Prince of Denmark:Act 2, Scene 2

The RSC’s Automation andAnalytical Management Group– part of the RSC AnalyticalDivision – held a conference onMonitoring Exposure to AirPollution in December 2003 atthe English Heritage LectureTheatre, London. The meetingwas held with cooperationfrom the National PhysicalLaboratory, the BuildingResearch Establishment (BRE)and the Joint Research Centre(Ispra, Italy). Twenty speakersand fifty delegates, includingLeo Salter, participated.

The opening session considered Healthissues and indoor air from a UK andEU perspective and Session 2 (health,exposure and sources) also focussedon indoor air quality with papers onhouse dust, VOCs (volatile organiccompounds), radon, and indoor airmonitoring techniques. Thursday’ssessions examined sick buildingsyndrome (SBS), ventilation, buildingmaterials, and more aspects of indoorair monitoring (e.g. calibration, QA/QC). The closing presentations re-emphasised the importance of VOCs forindoor air quality assessment and thefinal paper discussed the monitoring ofenvironmental tobacco smoke (ETS).

Five posters were displayed coveringBTEX (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene,xylene) measurements; Ni, As, Cd andPb assessment in air using voltammetry;

chemical risk analysis in an elementaryschool (Spain); indoor/outdoor nitrogendioxide and benzene assessment; and“Breath analysis to assess exposure totrihalomethanes in drinking water”.

Indoor air pollution is sourced fromfurniture, dust mites (Der p allergen),glues, fires, cooking and tobacco smokeand is manifest as nitrogen dioxide,carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide,formaldehyde (and many other VOCs),asbestos (and other fibrous materials) andradon. Fungi, bacteria, chlorinatedorganic compounds (e.g. pesticides) alsohave impacts on indoor air quality (IAQ).It is apparent that although indoor airpollution is sometimes perceived as alesser risk than that from outdoor air, 70-90% of exposure to air pollutants occursindoors. For the individual thedistinction is between perceptions ofindividual choice i.e. voluntary exposureindoors and involuntary exposureoutdoors (no choice). This is animportant distinction when it comes tothe design of prescriptive statutoryinstruments for the control of IAQ –especially, though not exclusively, inrelation to ETS. At risk groups (the old,the young, the sick, the bedridden) cansuffer from exposure to indoor airpollutants. For instance, 67% of benzeneexposure occurs at home – 22% by dayand 45% by night (Paul Harrison,University of Leicester). For all VOCsthe mean indoor concentrations are mostfrequently between 1.5 and 2.5 timeshigher than those measured at thecorresponding outdoor sites and onaverage between 30% and 55% of VOCconcentrations found indoors originatefrom indoor sources. (E. Goelen, Vito,Boeretang 200, B-2400, Mol, Belgium)

In the UK there is a need for IAQguidelines similar to those operating inCanada, Finland, Germany andelsewhere. A Department of Healthpaper “Indoor Air Quality Guidelines”has been approved for publication insummer 2004. Revision of BuildingRegulations and Housing FitnessStandards is ongoing. Paul Harrisonsuggested www.le.ac.uk/ieh/ukieg/htm/(the UK Indoor Environment Group site)and http://wads.le.ac.uk/ieh/ierie/index.htm (the web site for the Inventory

of European Research on the IndoorEnvironment) as useful sources ofinformation. European reports such asEUR 16123 EN 1995 for radon, EUR18698 EN 1999 for VOCs and EUR19529/EN 2000 (Risk Assessment andIAQ) were also mentioned (ChristianCocket, Centre Scientifique et Techniquedu Batiment, Paris, France).

Techniques and standards for indoor airpollutant monitoring have yet to beestablished. Derrick Crump (BRE,Watford, WD25 9XX) suggested that inrelation to this, information could beaccessed from Crump, D.; Raw, G.;Upton, S.; Scivyer, C.; Hunter, C.;Hartless, R. (2002) “A protocol for theassessment of indoor air quality in homesand office buildings” BRE Report 450,CRC Ltd., London and companion papers:Crump, D. (2001) “Strategies andprotocols for indoor air monitoring ofpollutants” Journal of Indoor and BuiltEnvironment 10, 125-131 and Mohle, G.;Crump, D.; Brown, V.; Hunter, C.; Squire,R.; Mann, H.; Raw, G. (2003)“Development and application of aprotocol for the assessment of air quality”Journal of Indoor and Built Environment12, 139-149. Several ISO documents (ISO/DIS 16000-1 to 16000-8) are also relevant.

Exposure to airborne particulatematter can be high indoors (RobKinnersley, EA). Unlike the situationwith carbon monoxide and nitrogendioxide the concentrations of outdoorairborne particulate matter are onlyweakly linked to indoor concentrations(concentrations of particles of diameter0.1micrometres – 0.2 micrometres are themost closely associated). But it isnoteworthy that there can be largevariations between individual exposuresto pollutants such as NO2, CO andparticulates. These variations areassociated with an individual’s micro-environment and with individual activitylevels (individuals have a ‘personalcloud’ of particulate matter of around 16micrograms per cubic metre).

Radon in the environment was tackledby Jon Miles (NRPD) who gave anexcellent overview of radon in UKhousing. Heated domestic dwellingsdraw in external air (and radon from


18

bedrock) at a rate of up to 2 m3 an hour.Survey data on 450 000 houses (livingrooms and bedrooms) indicated that thereare 100 000 homes in the UK above theAction Level (200 Bq m-3) and for whichremedial action (sump and fan at £700-£1000 cost) is required. Current BuildingRegulations and changes in standardconveyancing questions (to includeradon) mean that new houses and housesnew to the market will reduce the affectedUK housing stock.

Together with the control of pollutantsources ventilation is a crucial elementin controlling indoor air quality (IAQ)(Bridget Pierce, BRE), There is asynergism between IAQ and ventilation– too often air conditioning is seen as asimple heating/cooling system and itsrole for determining IAQ is overlooked.Water vapour is seen as a major domesticpollutant (it causes condensation, mouldgrowth, the mobilisation and reaction ofbuilding and furnishing chemicals etc.).To keep the Relative Humidity of theaverage domestic building below 70%at least 0.5 ach (air changes per hour)are needed. It was suggested (JanKristensson, Chemik Lab, AG, Norrtalje,Sweden) that SBS may well be stronglylinked to indoor water concentrations inthat reactions between water andchemicals present indoors could producea potent mix of chemicals. Water (liquidand vapour) could also play a role in

transporting such chemicals andbreakdown products to the lungs.

VOCs indoors range from acetylene ton-C16, semi-VOCs from n-C18 to n-C40and can consist of hydrocarbons, acids,halocarbons, alcohols, aldehydes etc.VOCs have various odour thresholds andindividuals have various sensitivities.Speciated VOC monitoring (as opposedto total VOC (TVOC) measurement) isinvariably required and the mostcommonly used protocols rely on activepumping of known volumes of airthrough absorbents such as Tenax orpassive sampling onto activated charcoal.This is followed by thermal desorptionwith GC-MS for separation andidentification. Many of the speciespresent will be at concentrations downto sub-ppb levels. Bob Large (M-ScanLtd., Wokingham, RG41 2TZ) discussedthe ways in which the specificdistribution of organic air pollutantsreflects closely the particular indooratmosphere and how (when absorbedonto clothing or other materials) this canbe used forensically to provide a‘fingerprint’ (‘signature’) of thatparticular environment. The smoky pubenvironment (nicotine, vinyl pyridine,menthol, ethanol, phytol, isoprene,limonene, BTEX.), cooking odour(garlic) (diallyl disulphide, allylmercaptan, allyl methyl sulphide,dimethyl disulphide), air freshener (3,5,5

– trimethylhexanol, limonene, 4-hexen-1-ol acetate) were given as examples inthis interesting and informative paper.

Ivan Gee (Manchester MetropolitanUniversity) presented a clear andinteresting description of work thatsought to evaluate the effectiveness ofthe voluntary measures (ventilation andnon-smoking areas) used in pubs andbars to reduce environmental tobaccosmoke (ETS). ETS is made up ofmainstream smoke (inhaled/exhaled) andsidestream smoke (smoulderingcigarettes) emissions. Using absorbenttubes and GC-MS and (amongst otherchemical markers) solanesol as an ETSspecific marker of ETS particulate matterand 3-ethenyl-pyridine as a tobaccospecific VOC marker (nicotine isproblematic because of its high rate ofsurface adsorption) it was found that non-smoking areas experienced an averagereduction of 27% in ETS PM2.5, a 53%reduction in solanesol particulate matterand a 63% reduction in nicotine ascompared with smoking areas.Ventilation systems because they werenot specifically designed for ETSextraction and/or because they werefrequently not switched on, had nostatistically significant effect on ETS.

Dr LEO SALTER,Cornwall College,Pool, Redruth, Cornwall

Book reviewMinamata: Pollution and the Strugglefor Democracy in Post-war JapanHarvard East Asian Monographs 194

Timothy S. George

Published by Harvard University AsiaCentre. Distributed by HarvardUniversity Press, Cambridge,Massachusetts & London, 2001, pbk2002, pp 385, £16.50

“One cannot study Minamata only byteasing truths out of musty documents inarchives, nor can the scholar pretend tobe a detached observer when he criesalong with his subjects as they tell theirstories.”

In the opening lines of theAcknowledgements to his book, Timothy

George clearly indicates where hissympathies lie but does himself aninjustice when he reflects on theobjectivity of his text. The book is “. . .an outgrowth of my 1996 Harvard PhDthesis in history.” and, as such, conformsto the academic norms of that discipline.Although the language is strong it is nota polemical book,

“Minamata is a story not just of theenvironmental and human costs of rapid‘modernization’, but also of a callousand murderous corporation hiding itsguilt; of the collusion and confusion atall levels of government and society,including the scientific community andthe media . . .” (p7)

The book describes three rounds ofresponse to Minamata disease. The first

begins with its ‘discovery’ (1956) and asettlement (1959). After 1959 changesin Japan and Minamata led to a morecomplete settlement and, finally, a third‘full’ solution was agreed in 1995. AsTimothy George writes, “A society’sresponses to an environmental disastersay a great deal about it” and the changesin settlements over the 1959-1995 periodreflect the contemporary political andsocial changes in Japan. He explains thatMinamata has been governed by three“feudal lords” – the Sagara Family (13th

to 16th centuries), the Fukami Family(16th to 19th centuries) and the Nitchitsufactory in the 20th century. There areparallels between 20th century Minamataand 19th century Britain – social classes,class discrimination and “an oppressive“feudal” structure of discrimination”.The various financial settlements agreed


19

with the victims of Minamata disease(and those fishermen whose livelihoodssuffered because of lost catches andunsellable fish) parallel changes in‘worker consciousness’ in Japanesesociety as a whole.

Timothy George describes in great detailthis struggle for compensation and muchof his discussion has generic value forthe interpretation of any major pollutionincident. He delineates the way in whichthe development of the Minamataindustrial base from calcium carbidemanufacture to nitrogen fertilizerproduction, its links to cheaphydroelectric power and crucially, its rolein the provision of acetaldehyde (fromacetylene blown over mercuric sulfate)became nationally important for Japan’seconomic growth. In consequence, theGovernment and industry supportedalternative explanations to organicmercury for the environmental effects(thallium, pesticides, explosives fromWWII, red-tide). Action was therefore

delayed and knowledge of the factory asthe direct source of organic mercury washidden from the mid-1950s until 1995.

Although the detailed archival evidenceof the day-to-day negotiations presentedin the meat of the book is somewhattedious it is nevertheless essential for anunderstanding of the complexity of thelegal, socio-cultural, political andeconomic issues that surround theenvironment. For instance,

“ . . . too many scientists seem to havebeen in the service of money and power.Too many in the media saw it as theirduty to be ‘neutral’ by uncriticallyreporting every theory, rather thaninvestigating who sponsored them andwhether they were backed by solidevidence. Too many government officialsseem to have been willing to sacrificepoor fisher folk on the altar of highgrowth.” (p70)

“From this time until the present,

diagnosis and certification of Minamatadisease patients have been as muchpolitical and financial issues as medicalquestions.” (p112)

George’s final chapter (“Minamata andthe Tragedy of Japan’s ‘Modernity’”)reflects on the spiritual cost to ruralJapanese society of material progress.

Although it is overly long and sometimessententious (perhaps because of itsorigins as a PhD thesis), the impact ofthis book is in the exhaustive presentationof the slow accumulation of evidence andpressure which brought some form ofrecognition to the victims. It is a bookfor individual study; any lecturer dealingwith environmental issues should knowit - as should other environmentalprofessionals. Whether students wouldread it is another issue . . . .

Dr LEO SALTER,Cornwall College,Pool, Redruth, Cornwall

Recent books on the environment and on toxicology at the RSClibraryThe following books and monographs onenvironmental topics, toxicology, andhealth and safety have been acquired bythe Royal Society of Chemistry library,Burlington House, during the period Julyto December 2003.

Arsine: Human Health Aspects

Czerczak, S., WHO InternationalProgramme on Chemical Safety (IPCS),Geneva, 2002, ISBN: 9241530472

Dioxins and Health: 2nd Edition

Schecter, A., Wiley-Interscience, 2003,New York, ISBN: 0471433551

Contact Sensitisation: ClassificationAccording to Potency

European Centre for Ecotoxicology andToxicology of Chemicals (ECETOC),Brussels, 2003.

ENDS Environmental ConsultancyDirectory 2003: 10th Edition

Environmental Data Services (ENDS),London, 2003, ISBN: 0907673201

Environmental RadiochemicalAnalysis II: Proceedings of the9th International Symposium onRadiochemical Analysis

Warwick, P. (ed.), Royal Society ofChemistry, Cambridge, 2003, ISBN:0854046186

Environmental Risk Assessment ofDifficult Substances

European Centre for Ecotoxicology andToxicology of Chemicals (ECETOC),Brussels, 2003,ISBN: 0773807288

Handbook of Elemental Speciation

Cornelis, R., Caruso, J., Crews, H.,Heumann, K., J. Wiley, Chichester, 2003,ISBN: 0471492140

Off-flavors in Aquaculture

Rimando, A.M., Schrader, K.K.,American Chemical Society,Washington, D.C., 2003, ISBN:0841238219

When Smoke Ran Like Water: Talesof Environmental Deception and theBattle Against Pollution

Davis, D., New York, Basic Books, 2002,ISBN: 0465015211

Wood Deterioration and PreservationAdvances in Our Changing World

Goodell, B., American Chemical Society,Washington, D.C., 2003, ISBN:0841237972

Elements and theirCompounds in theEnvironmentOccurence, Analysis and Biological Relevance2nd editionEdited by ERNEST MERIAN,Therwil, SwitzerlandMANFRED ANKE, formerly University of Jena, GermanyMILAN IHNAT, Pacific Agri-Food Research Centre, Canada MARKUS STOEPPLER, Consultant, Jülich

Since the last edition was published in 1991, the 'Merian' hasestablished itself as the standard reference on this topic, and remainsunmatched in the breadth of material covered.

This new edition is more clearly and concisely structured, and moreemphasis is now given to nutritional aspects of the elements. Itcontinues to provide:

• Detailed information on the environmental metals that influencethe health of plants, animals and humans

• Describes the problems related to waste, soils and wildlife as well asthe risks caused by the increasing output of metals from industryand households

• An extensive bibliography, numerous tables with useful data and aglossary of terms

International experts from 15 countries have pooled their knowledgeand experience to create this ultimate resource giving essentialinformation to all chemists, biologists, geologists, food scientists,toxicologists and physiologists involved in environmental researchand remediation, risk assessment, food research and industrialhygiene.

3-527-30459-2 due February 2004 1600pp Three Volume Set

£355.00 €599.00

5481

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