With contributions by numerous experts

In spite of their adjacency in the periodic table, halogens and nonmetals have very different properties. Halogens are among the most chemically reactive elements in the periodic table, exhibiting a diverse chemistry in terms of the large numbers of compounds they can form. On the other hand, noble gases are the least chemically reactive elements. In fact, before the 1960s, chemists referred to these elements as inert gases, because it was believed that they exhibited no chemistry whatsoever. Providing the basics of these elements, including their role in history and some of the important scientists involved in their discovery, this newly updated, full-color resource features up-to-date scientific understanding in a clear and accessible format. Halogens and Noble Gases, Second Edition examines the ways humans use halogens and noble gases and the resulting benefits and challenges to society, health, and the environment. Fluorine, chlorine, bromine, iodine, helium, and krypton are covered in this eBook, along with the fundamentals of chemistry and physics as well as possible future developments in halogen and noble gas science and its applications.

Scientific evidence clearly shows that chlorine and bromine compounds, such as CFCs, released into the atmosphere are responsible for continuous and progressive global ozone losses superimposed by dramatic seasonal ozone depletions first observed over Antarctica, now occurring over Arctic regions as well. Today substitutes are produced and emitted, some of which are highly reactive substances. This handbook volume deals with these reactive halogen compounds and their interactions. It provides a review on the present knowledge of their properties, applications, sources, sinks as well as international regulations.

Every day, large quantities of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are emitted into the atmosphere from both anthropogenic and natural sources. The formation of gaseous and particulate secondary products caused by oxidation of VOCs is one of the largest unknowns in the quantitative prediction of the earth’s climate on a regional and global scale, and on the understanding of local air quality. To be able to model and control their impact, it is essential to understand the sources of VOCs, their distribution in the atmosphere and the chemical transformations which remove these compounds from the atmosphere. In recent years techniques for the analysis of organic compounds in the atmosphere have been developed to increase the spectrum of detectable compounds and their detection limits. New methods have been introduced to increase the time resolution of those measurements and to resolve more complex mixtures of organic compounds. Volatile Organic Compounds in the Atmosphere describes the current state of knowledge of the chemistry of VOCs as well as the methods and techniques to analyse gaseous and particulate organic compounds in the atmosphere. The aim is to provide an authoritative review to address the needs of both graduate students and active researchers in the field of atmospheric chemistry research.