262 Book reÕiews

Pollution Prevention: Fundamentals and Practice

Paul L. Bishop, Mc Graw-Hill Book Co., Ž2000. ISBN: 0-07-366147-3, $81.88, 716 pp.

Pollution prevention has now developed into an important component of the environ-
mental andror process engineering operation. Pollution prevention is an important
complement to the much more well-trodden ground of waste treatment, in that it
describes techniques for minimizing the production of wastes, rather than ways of
eliminating wastes that are produced as by-products of industrial operations. Since
pollution prevention became codified into law in 1990, it has been a source of
tremendous interest and research. Until recently, there were only limited resources
available to the engineer or student interested in learning more about the subject. With
the publication of Pollution Prevention: Fundamentals and Practices by Paul Bishop, the
subject is now tackled in a comprehensive textbook suitable for the classroom.
The book begins with a introduction to the subject of pollution prevention, covering
several important aspects that motivate the study. A short history is provided, followed
by definition of important terms, the definition of pollution prevention and the role of
recycling, and a brief discussion of environmental ethics. The ethics discussion is
particularly interesting, in that it points out that pollution prevention is something that
should be achieved because it is the‘‘right thing to do’’, rather than because it is
mandated by law.
The next several chapters provide the necessary background on organic chemistry,
waste treatment, and environmental law, thereby setting the context in which pollution
prevention should be analyzed. Chap. 2 provides a relatively extensive analysis of fate
and transport issues. For the environmental or civil engineer, this is generally a review
of the subject. However, the chapter is well organized and surprisingly comprehensive,
allowing someone not trained in the subject to come up to speed quickly. Chap. 3
describes different types of pollution, and reviews the subjects of air and water
pollution, and the issue of solid waste. Because of the book’s emphasis on pollution
prevention, an extensive and necessary discussion of energy usage is included. An
introduction to resource depletion is provided, but it is too short to be of much use in
understanding the importance of the subject with regards to pollution prevention.
Finally, a brief description of the environmental legislation is provided in Chap. 4. This
discussion is well organized and sufficiently extensive for the necessary introduction to
the subject without being so extensive as to become boring and burdensome. The
chapter concludes with an introduction to the Pollution Prevention Act of 1990 that sets
the tone for the material that must be covered throughout the remainder of the book.
In Chap. 5, we are presented with a series of ideas as to how to modify manufactur-
ing processes to minimize their pollution impact. This chapter presents some very useful
and valuable concepts. The chapter begins with some discussion of designing a process,
leaving much of the details to later chapters. A significant discussion of selected
chemical engineering unit operations is provided, with design examples in a few cases
and a brief discussion of the function of the equipment in others. A second section
provides some general‘‘housekeeping’’ rules that can be applied, but fails to provide the
background to understand why proposed process changes would be effective. Some will
likely find these sections frustrating, in that there is insufficient information to complete
 Book reÕiews 263

practical design problems or reach the knowledge level required for practical application
of these concepts. Finally, two examples of process modification are provided, an
extremely valuable example of practical pollution prevention that underscores the
important conclusion that‘‘little things mean a lot’’. Once again, the results are
presented with a broad brush, providing too few details on the methods used and the
benefits obtained.
Life cycle analysis ŽLCA. is discussed in Chap. 6 and described in terms of the
benefits of this process in evaluating pollution prevention opportunities and meeting
regulatory requirements. Again, the author has attempted to be comprehensive, provid-
ing a broad overview of the concepts of LCA and their applications. Unfortunately, the
breadth of the discussion leaves insufficient room to describe the procedures necessary
to allow the reader to complete any more than a rudimentary LCA on hisrher own. An
example is provided Žbased on an EPA study. which helps to illustrate the complexity of
this process, but the origin of the data and the application of the results are not
thoroughly described.
A short chapter on environmental economics follows. Basic economics are presented,
and an introduction to the concepts underlying engineering economics Žthe time value of
money. is provided. This is an important review for the reader who has previously been
exposed to engineering economics, but is too brief to be of much value to a novice. The
examples are helpful in illustrating the concepts and calculation methods. The use of
total cost accounting, including the potential long-term liability, provides a useful
introduction into evaluating the true cost of a proposed process.
Using the tools developed in the previous chapters, Chap. 8 shows how a pollution
prevention plan should be implemented in a corporation, and the role of the engineer in
developing and implementing such a plan. This chapter is an interesting mix of
semi-technical Žhow do you identify the right problem to address. and business
information Žpresenting the plan to management.. A description of resources and tools
that can be used in the development of the plan includes a brief description of ISO
14000, toxic release inventory, and environmental audits.
The heart of the text is located in Chap. 9, which focuses on design for the
environment. A lengthy section on green chemistry is presented, using results reported
in some of the classic documents. The author has wisely made use of information
developed by the EPA that was based on the work of the recipients of the Presidential
Green Chemistry Challenge Awards. As with many previous sections of the book, the
author has covered the subject in substantial breadth, without providing the depth
necessary for the reader to develop a full appreciation for the importance of these
developments. The next section discusses design for disassembly and demanufacturing,
and is similarly broad in coverage. The concepts are provided, and the implications of
society’s failure to reuse parts and recycle materials are presented. While the section on
green chemistry provided numerous examples with actual results, the design section
gives only a more general how-to description of what can be achieved. A smaller section
on packaging, which does provide a few success stories, concludes this chapter.
Process integration is tackled in Chap. 10, which is again comprehensive in scope but
limited in depth. The concept of a material balance is presented in terms of minimizing
water use through a process. As a chemical engineer, I appreciate the benefits of
264 Book reÕiews

completing a material balance calculation and looked for a concise discussion of the
underlying fundamentals. Unfortunately, only a rudimentary discussion is provided
before the author launches into a series of numerical examples. Thus, I fear that the
reader will become lost in the equations and diagrams and fail to appreciate the
simplicity of the method. Heat exchange networks are also presented, although the
author only provides a short description of the concepts of heat transfer. The exchange
network technique is illustrated Žfirst for heat and then for water use. through a series of
examples, complete with graphical development. This section provides a very important
overview to the value of exchange networks without overwhelming the reader with so
much detail that one loses sight of the process. On the other hand, the reader who wishes
to use heat andror mass exchange networks in the evaluation of a chemical process
would find insufficient information in this text to complete the task.
Chap. 11 describes residual management. In my opinion, this chapter only belongs in
a pollution prevention text if one describes recovery techniques that could be used to
allow recycle andror reuse of the components within the waste stream. In the current
case, many destructive waste treatment methods that could be used to eliminate noxious
emissions are described, including chemical, physical, and biological treatment methods.
To his credit, the author clearly points out that this section is not meant to be a rigorous
discussion and points the reader to several good texts on the subject. This is indeed the
case, and the reader is presented with a short description of many of the alternatives, and
some discussion of the usefulness of each of the processes.
Fugitive emissions are the topic of concern in the next chapter, a well-written
introduction to the scope of the problem. The introduction to this chapter motivates
further discussion and presages the difficulties that are inherent in evaluating the level of
fugitive emissions from a real facility. Several EPA methods for calculating emissions
are presented, and this time, sufficient detail is provided to allow the reader to complete
the calculation if desired. The section on controlling emissions provides some useful tips
and insights into the options available. Methods of calculating and minimizing fugitive
emissions from tanks are also provided.
Chap. 13 describes opportunities for municipal waste treatment facilities to imple-
ment pollution prevention programs. In this chapter, a large number of general ideas that
discuss possible pollution prevention programs are presented. Unfortunately, many of
these concepts are not well developed. Thus, someone attempting to implement a
program will not have concrete information as to how to begin the program, how to
develop it for his or her site, or how to see it into operation. It is my opinion that it
would have been informative to examine Žat least. one example in which a pollution
prevention program was successfully implemented, and present the results of the
program. Several possible examples are included within the problems at the end of the
chapter.
The text concludes with an interesting chapter on sustainability. This is a concept that
has become more important with time, and is likely to be the central theme of
environmental protection in the near future. As such, it makes an appropriate conclusion
to the text. The chapter is well organized and informative, giving a solid discussion on
where we might be going, and how we will get there. This description of the state of the
science is well presented, with sufficient information for the reader to understand the
 Book reÕiews 265

problems associated with the attempt to achieve a sustainable economy. Within this
chapter, it becomes abundantly clear that the issues of pollution prevention are going to
require a greater integration of the technical problems with their socioeconomic and
political implications.
Despite its shortcomings, this book does present a comprehensive overview of
pollution prevention. Although this is a tall order, it is suitably accomplished within this
text. Because the author has chosen to cover the subject comprehensively, the book is
often lacking in depth, and the interested reader will be required to look elsewhere for
more information. In most cases, appropriate references are provided to more detailed
information, as necessary. While some may find the lack of detail a significant failing of
the text, others may appreciate the opportunity to survey the subject without being
subjected to the details of any specific area. It would be unreasonable to expect both
extreme depth and breadth in a single volume, and the author has provided a good
compromise for this traditional dilemma.
This book should be very useful for the professor interested in a primary text for a
pollution prevention course. One could not cover the entire text in a single semester, but
the book is laid out in a fashion that will allow one to choose from among the various
chapters. Once the professor has decided what areas should be emphasized, references
are provided for additional materials in the desired subject areas. Supplementary texts
may be desired, but it will probably be sufficient to supplement the material in the book
with course notes. For the environmental professional, this book also provides a good
starting point for the development of a pollution prevention mission. Since there is
insufficient information to actually complete many of the calculations that may be
required, the environmental professional will also need to consult more detailed refer-
ence volumes in the specific area of interest.
Paul Bishop has developed a comprehensive treatise in the text on pollution preven-
tion, which should become a staple of the environmental professional.

MARTIN ABRAHAM
Department of Chemical and EnÕironmental Engineering,
UniÕersity of Toledo, 2801 W. Bancroft Street,
Toledo, OH 43606,
USA

PII: S0304-3894Ž00.00256-9

What Environmental Managers Really Need to Know

David J. Schell, Government Institute, Rockville, MD, 1999, $49.00, 183 pp Žpaper-
back. ISBN: 0-86587-661-4

This book was written for new and inexperienced environmental and human re-
sources professionals, and for that audience Žvery new people in the environmental field.
it should be of interest. The book is well written, in an almost‘‘conversational’’ style,
with short, to-the-point chapters divided into readable Žnewspaper-like. sections by
appropriate headings.