This subject is the focus of the Handbook of Chemical Mass Transport in the Environment. The Handbook's editors have observed on several occasions that the subject of mass transport phenomena is the ugly stepchild of environmental processes. Considering the three pillars upon which chemical fate is defined and quantified, phase partitioning and reaction are the most popular and beloved by chemists and engineers alike. All three processes are integral parts of the transient advective/diffusive continuity equation, also known as the mass balance. Arguably, mass transfer is the key chemodynamic process responsible for the presence of anthropogenic chemicals worldwide as trace contaminants and achieving pollutant levels at many locales. In addition, transport must occur first; the other two processes follow on. Such philosophic flights of fancy plus a brief history of the Handbook's origin and purpose, followed by a brief summary of some of the topics covered. Besides serving as a general introduction to the subject of environmental mass transfer, a key objective of the Handbook is to provide users with the means of estimating mass transport coefficients.

Chemical mobility in the natural environment: An overview

242nd National Meeting (2011)

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