Springer Xenobiotics in the Urban Water Cycle: Mass Flows, Environmental Processes, Mitigation and Treatment Strategies: 16 (Environmental Pollution, 16)

The history of chemistry and pharmaceutical sciences is an impressive success story. The products of chemical and pharmaceutical industries are present eve- where in our everyday life. They help to pursue the modern way of living and they contribute to our high standard of living and safety, mobility, communication te- nologies, food, health, textiles and drinking water treatment, among many others. These products are labeled under the categories: pharmaceuticals, pesticides, det- gents, fertilizers, dyes, paints, preservatives, food additives and personal care pr- ucts, to name a few. Within these categories, groups of chemicals with similar structures can be found. However, often groups of chemicals with very different structures belong to the same category. For a long time the production of chemicals and pharmaceuticals, their usage and application was connected with the heavy pollution of the environment and serious health effects. At the end of the last century, it was realised that the products of che- cal and pharmaceutical industries are presenting a new type of environmental pol- tion that may also pose a health risk to the consumer. Most chemicals are used in so-called open applications in excessive amounts e. g. for personal care, hygiene, plant protection, health and in textiles. In many cases such as scents, detergents, textile chemicals, surface disinfectants, pesticides and others it is unavoidable that these chemicals are released into the environment according to their intended use. From the Back Cover The presence of xenobiotics in the aquatic environment is seen as one of the biggest challenges for a sustainable water future.   Thus, there is a need to understand, in an integrated manner, the sources, flow paths, fate and effects of xenobiotics in the urban water cycle.  This book is an authoritative and comprehensive reference source covering: -occurrence, sources and fluxes of xenobiotics in urban waters   -processes concerning the fate and transport of xenobiotics, mass flows and transformation products  -mitigation, treatment methods and systems for the removal of xenobiotics -risk assessment methodologies and risk management  -information on source control and mitigation measures The book contains a wealth of information on some of the compounds most frequently found in urban water systems, and of special interest will be the chapters dealing with compounds that have only recently been investigated, such as illicit drugs, scents, and toxins. The book will be of interest to researchers, practitioners, municipal authorities, and international policy-makers. About the Author Despo Fatta-Kassinos received her Diploma in Chemical Engineering from the National Technical University of Athens, Greece and her M.Sc. in Environmental Management from the European Association for Environmental Management and Education (University of Athens, Greece – Joint Research Center, Ispra, Italy). She received her Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from the National Technical University of Athens, Greece. She is a faculty member of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering of the University of Cyprus since 2003. She is the head of GAIA, Laboratory of Environmental Engineering where a number of scientific projects related to the treatment of xenobiotic compounds in aqueous matrices are being realised. She is a reviewer for several national and European funding bodies. Her principal research interests are in the field of water and wastewater treatment systems, monitoring of environmental pollution and environmental risk assessment. The main focus of her research is the development of advanced oxidation and other combined processes for the treatment of wastewater intended for reuse applications. Kai Bester studied Chemistry and got his diploma (masters) degree from Hamburg University. He finished his PhD in Marine Environmental and Analytical Chemistry at Hamburg Unive