2011-07-11 New Book Published on the Spread of Pollution in the Environment

New Book Published on the Spread of Pollution in the Environment

The fifth book in the “School of Environmental Research – organized by Hemlholtz-Zentrum Geesthacht” series has now been published under the title "Persistent Pollution - Past, Present and Future". Environmental and climate experts from the Institute of Coastal Research at the Helmholtz-Zentrum Geesthacht, in cooperation with other national and international research institutions, have gathered together the work from the fifth “School of Environmental Research” and expanded upon it by contributing additional chapters.

The fifth "School of Environemental Research". Attendees from 26 countries.

As part of the series “School of Environmental Research,“ a new book entitled “Persistent Pollution - Past, Present and Future” has just been published. This series of publications was created to accompany the “School of Environmental Research,” held on a variety of research topics at the Institute of Coastal Research at the Helmholtz-Zentrum Geesthacht since 1997. During this one- to two-week event, experts from the Institute of Coastal Research and other international research institutions explain the subjects of their research to young scientists from around the world, and give these upcoming researchers the opportunity to gain insight into their ongoing projects.

In 2007, researchers in the areas of environmental chemistry and marine bioanalytical chemistry presented their work on persistent organic pollutants, heavy metals, and aerosols in the framework of the fifth “School of Environmental Research.” Persistent organic Pollutants, or POPs for short, are often used among other things in non-stick coatings such as fat- and water-repellent materials.

The book "Persistent Pollution - Past, Present and Future" has been publishes in the Springer Verlag.

These compounds last extremely long in the environment, and thus they tend to collect within the food chain. The working group under Prof. Dr. Ralf Ebinghaus observes these POPs in coastal waters and the marine atmosphere. They simulate the transportation routes of these and other pollutants – such as mercury – using computer models, and develop scenario-based prognoses for their existence moving forward.

In the newly published book, more than 40 environmental and climate experts summarize the various topics covered in the “School of Environmental Research” and expand upon these matters in additional chapters. The books in the “School of Environmental Research” series, all published in English, are issued by the Springer Verlag.