Persistent Pollution – Past, Present and Future

Based on material presented at the 5th School of Environmental Research workshop, which focused on persistent organic pollutants (POPs), heavy metals and aerosols, this volume evaluates the present state of the environment and possible future trends.

Markus Quante is a senior research scientist and deputy head of the Department of Environmental Chemistry at the Institute of Coastal Research of the Helmholz Centre Geesthacht. He is professor for environmental sciences and climate physics at the University of Lüneburg / Germany. He is an expert in airborne turbulence measurements and cloud remote sensing and was involved in organizing and managing international cloud research campaigns. Markus Quante is member of the international science team, advising the CloudSat research satellite mission of NASA and Colorado State University. Currently Markus Quante is working in the field of chemistry transport modelling and coordinates an international initiative conducting a climate change assessment for the North Sea region. Among other services he is an active member of the Advisory Committee for the “European Research Course on Atmospheres” of the University Joseph Fourier, Grenoble, France. Ralf Ebinghaus is an analytical and environmental chemist and head of the Department for Environmental Chemistry of the Institute for Coastal Research of the Helmholz Centre in Geesthacht near Hamburg. He is also Professor (h.c.) at the Faculty of Environmental Science at Leuphana University of Lüneburg. His research fields include transport, deposition, and air/sea-gas exchange of atmospheric trace constituents, such as mercury and persistent organic pollutants (POPs) with special emphasis on substances of emerging concern for the coastal, marine, and polar environment. He is editor of the CSIRO Journal “Environmental Chemistry” and co-editor of the EGU Open Access Journal “Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics”. Götz Flöser is research associate at the Helmholz Centre Geesthacht and active in Wadden Sea research. He is also responsible for organizational matters in the field of Coastal Research and has organized six “Schools of Environmental Research”. He is technical editor of the book series.

I. Introduction, History and Reconstruction.- II. Emissions.- III. Persistent Pollutants – a closer look.- IV Transport and Modelling.- V. Persistent Pollution and Health.- VI Future Aspects.