Overview

Our current knowledge on chemicals in the Mediterranean Sea is presented. The increasing rates of exploitation and pollution are producing unprecedented environmental changes in this semi-enclosed sea, which is often considered a unique model to study global change evolution of our ocean and coastal seas. This volume deals with several aspects of the chemical contamination of the Mediterranean Sea and its health. After a description of the general physical and socio-economic context, exploration of processes governing the fate of chemicals, the budget of both inorganic and organic major and preoccupant contaminants and a description of new tools to study the impact of pollution on the Mediterranean Sea are discussed. The book serves as a reference source for the chemical aspects of the Mediterranean Sea for students and scientists and a practical guide for those who have professional responsibility for the management and operation of environmental impact assessment programmes.