Environmental Microbiology ISBN 0124975704

The field of environmental microbiology encompasses aspects of several areas of study including microbial ecology, molecular genetics, and environmental science. Environmental Microbiology is the first book to offer a comprehensive discussion of this field as a discipline, which the authors define as the study of microbial fate and activity in air, water, and soil, and the resulting impact on human health and welfare. While the roots of environmental microbiology can be traced to sanitary engineering (water and wastewater treatment), the field has grown to include other practical issues such as bioremediation, the control of known and emerging waterborne pathogens, microbial risk assessment, and environmental biotechnology. Five general areas are emphasized in this text: foundation chapters, microbial environments, detection of microbial activity, the impact of microbial activity on the environment in terms of nutrient cycling and pollutant fate, and detection and control of pathogens in the environment. Designed for courses at senior undergraduate and graduate levels, Environmental Microbiology will also serve as an essential reference for environmental microbiologists, microbial ecologists, and environmental engineers, as well as those interested in epidemiology, water and wastewater treatment, and biotechnology. This textbook includes foundation chapters for background in biological and earth sciences. It covers emerging areas such as transport of microbes and DNA, microbial risk assessment, and use of molecular detection in environmental applications. It references key or landmark works without interrupting the flow of text. It describes the newest analytical and molecular methodologies. It contains many detailed, full-color graphics to make the text visually stimulating. It presents numerous ‘case studies’ to emphasize relevance to real-life situations. It provides study questions at the end of each chapter.