Heavy Metals: A Problem Solved?

Most publications on heavy metals and the environment have focused on environmental pathways and risks. This study establishes a link between the environmental risks of heavy metals and the societal causes of the risks. Economic models, substance flow models and environmental fate and risk assessment models have been integrated into a single analytical framework that has been used to trace and understand the routes by which four heavy metals enter the economy, through to their final destination in the environment. The long-term impacts of the current metals management regime in the Netherlands have been used as a case study by which to assess the effectiveness of certain policy measures. The book should be of use to environmental scientists and policy makers, especially those practising in the areas of ecological economics, industrial ecology, materials flow accounting and integrated environmental assessment.