This book is based on the discussions and papers prepared for the NATO Advanced Research Workshop that took place under the auspices of the NATO Security Through Science Programme and addressed urban water management problems. The workshop sought to critically assess the existing knowledge on Xenobiotics in urban water cycle, with respect to diverse conditions in participating countries, and promote close co-operation among scientists with different professional experience.

Stable, safe, secure and readily available water supply is one of the key factors in ensuring a good level of the public health and a stable society. Scientific assessments show that about 80 % of diseases and one-third of the total death toll in the developing countries are caused by the low quality of the drinking water. Other countries are also suffering from water shortages and insufficient quality of the drinking water. Many rivers in Europe and in other parts of the world are significantly polluted by insufficiently treated or untreated wastewater discharge. This book is based on the discussions and papers prepared for the NATO Advanced Research Workshop that took place in Lviv, Ukraine, and addressed recent advances in water supply and wastewater treatment as a prerequisite for a safer society and environment. The contributions critically assess the existing knowledge on urban water management and provide an overview of the current water management issues, especially in the countries in transition in Central and Eastern Europe and in the Mediterranean Dialogue countries.

Microbial Biodegradation of Xenobiotic Compounds examines and collects the recent information on the bioremediation technologies around the world. This book focuses on methods to decrease pollutants created by anthropogenic activities, industrial activities, and agricultural activities. This book answers some of the questions about – how to reduce contaminants? And whether there is a possibility of converting these pollutants in to useful energy by advanced biotechnological methods? The book combines present obtainable data with the expert knowledge of researchers from all over the world covering different aspects of environmental biotechnology and microbiology. It covers basic concepts of bioremediation and various methods involved in the bioremediation process, and provides specific chapters on the role of different genes and enzymes involved in microbial bioremediation process. It also gives special attention to heavy metal bioremediation by microalgae and the mechanisms involved during the degradation process. Recent innovative technologies about converting toxic pollutants in to useful energy like bioplastics and electricity are also discussed by specialist authors. Various chapters address the bioremediation of pesticides in soil using microbial metabolites, and molecular aspects of biodegradation which cover topics including identification of novel genes through the metagenomic approach and bioremediation using fungal laccase enzymes.

Maintenance, Monitoring and Control of Urban Water Systems, held in The New Forest, UK, April 25-27, 2012. The papers presented at the conference include topics such as contamination and pollution discharges in urban water bodies, monitoring water recycling systems, managing interaction between urban water cycles and city planning and landscaping, computer tools that can respond to the increased complexity of urban water systems, legal and regulatory aspects, technical problems involving the design, construction, maintenance, monitoring and control of urban water systems. The book will be of interest to researchers and professional engineers working in the water industry, architects, town planners, and others concerned about urban water supplies.

This volume provides state-of-the-art knowledge on xenobiotics in urban ecosystems, addressing a wide range of related issues, such as xenobiotic types and chemical composition, environmental fate, remedial approaches, regulatory policies and socioeconomic impacts. The book incorporates theoretical and practical aspects pertaining to xenobiotics to assess their threat level in urban environments, while determining appropriate responses and remediation measures to curb harmful impacts and prevent future contaminations. The book will be of interest to soil scientists, ecological engineers, agriculturists, urban policymakers, students and researchers working in the field of urban agriculture and environmental sciences.

Microbial Ecology of Wastewater Treatment Plants presents different methods and techniques used in microbial ecology to study the interactions and evolution of microbial populations in WWTPs, particularly the new molecular tools developed in the last decades. These molecular biology-based methods (e.g. studies of DNA, RNA and proteins) provide a high resolution of information compared to traditional ways of studying microbial wastewater populations, such as microscopic examination and culture-based methods. In addition, this book addresses the ability of microorganisms to degrade environmental pollutants. - Describes application of different Omics tools in Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) - Demonstrates the role of microorganisms in WWTPs - Includes discussions on the microbial ecology of WWTPs - Covers the microbial diversity of activated sludge - Emphasizes cutting-edge molecular tools

Each year more than 200 million people are affected by floods, tropical storms, droughts, earthquakes, and also operational failures, wars, terrorism, vandalism, and accidents involving hazardous materials. These are part of the wide variety of events that cause death, injury, and significant economic losses for the countries affected. In an environment where natural hazards are present, local actions are decisive in all stages of risk management: in the work of prevention and mitigation, in rehabilitation and reconstruction, and above all in emergency response and the provision of basic services to the affected population. Commitment to systematic vulnerability reduction is crucial to ensure the resilience of communities and populations to the impact of natural and manmade hazards. Current challenges for the water and sanitation sector require an increase in sustainable access to water and sanitation services in residential areas, where natural hazards pose the greatest risk. In settlements located on unstable and risk-prone land there is growing environmental degradation coupled with extreme conditions of poverty that increase vulnerability. The development of local capacity and risk management play vital roles in obtaining sustainability of water and sanitation systems as well as for the communities themselves. Unfortunately water may also represent a potential target for terrorist activity or war conflict and a deliberate contamination of water is a potential public health threat. An approach which considers the needs of communities and institutions is particularly important in urban areas affected by armed conflict. Risk management for large rehabilitation projects has to deal with major changes caused by conflict: damaged or destroyed infrastructure, increased population, corrupt or inefficient water utilities, and impoverished communities. Water supply and sanitation are amongst the first considerations in disaster response. The greatest water-borne risk to health in most emergencies is the transmission of faecal pathogens, due to inadequate sanitation, hygiene and protection of water sources. However, some disasters, including those involving damage to chemical and nuclear industrial installations, or involving volcanic activity, may create acute problems from chemical or radiological water pollution. Sanitation includes safe excreta disposal, drainage of wastewater and rainwater, solid waste disposal and vector control. This book is based on the discussions and papers prepared for the NATO Advanced Research Workshop that took place in Ohrid, Macedonia under the auspices of the NATO Security Through Science Programme and addressed problems Risk management of water supply and sanitation systems impaired by operational failures, natural disasters and war conflicts. The main purpose of the workshop was to critically assess the existing knowledge on Risk management of water supply and sanitation systems, with respect to diverse conditions in participating countries, and promote close co-operation among scientists with different professional experience from different countries. The ARW technical program comprised papers on 4 topics, : (a) Vulnerability of Wastewater and Sanitation Systems, (b) Vulnerability of Drinking Water Systems, (c) Emergency response plans, and (d) Case studies from regions affected by Drinking Water System, Wastewater and Sanitation System failures.

This contributed volume discusses the current status of the occurrences, fate and transport of persistent pollutants in water and wastewater. This contents compile the state-of-the-art of emerging technologies such as nanotechnology, advanced oxidation process, membrane processes, sorption, etc. for the clean-up of persistent pollutants in water including heavy metals, pharmaceuticals, phenolic compounds as well as microplastics and their by-products. This volume will be useful as a guide for the researchers to build strategies to deal with persistent pollutant. It also discusses the principal aspects of degradation mechanism of the pollutants, toxic by-products and effectiveness of the emerging technologies. This volume will be a useful guide for those working in soil and water protection, and environmental civil engineering.

"Proceedings of the NATO Advanced Research Workshop on Correlation between Human Factors and the Prevention of Catastrophes, 12-15 September, Dnipropetrovsk, Ukraine"--Title page verso.