Encyclopedia of Pollution: Air, Earth and Water (repost)

Gates (Ph.D., environmental sciences, Virginia Polytechnic Inst.; Encyclopedia of Earthquakes) and Blauvelt (senior vice president, Environmental Waste Management Assocs.) provide a balanced view of sensitive topics, outlining the historic background on the use of pollutants and environmentally detrimental policies.

The 300 detailed, easily accessible entries range from two to eight pages in length and cover human-made and natural pollution events, environmentalists, environmental groups, harmful contaminants, and related subjects.

Unfortunately, some expected topics are not covered, such as the increased mining of bituminous sands, and the entry for hydrofracturing (fracing) barely mentions oil extraction. Informative color diagrams and photographs provide clear examples of topics including deforestation and the side effects of chemical exposure. Twelve essays by the editors appear throughout and address topics such as epidemiology and pollution from space shuttle launches, dry cleaning, and cemeteries; these and the entries are each accompanied by a short further-reading list. Helpful appendixes include a list of acronyms, a chronology of pollution events, a glossary, a bibliography of print and web resources, and EPA standards. BOTTOM LINE Although a number of encyclopedias focus on air, water, and soil pollution, this publication affords a broader view of a topic that's frequently covered in school reports. A worthwhile reference for high school students and the general public.—Susanne Caro, Univ. of Montana Lib., Missoula