海洋汚染は今日、さまざまな形で発生していて、汚染源は限りなく広がっています。近年では、原油流出、汚水の未処理、富栄養化、外来種、重金属、酸性化、放射性物質、海ゴミ、乱獲など、重大な問題が発生しています。科学者もそうでない人も、水質汚染物質の多様性と、それらが環境や私たちの身体に及ぼす影響に衝撃を受け、不安を募らせています。
本書は海洋汚染をさまざまな角度から取り上げ、解説します。海洋汚染の発生源や歴史、一般的な汚染物質についてそれがなぜ有害なのか、なぜ議論を呼ぶのか、そして水生生態系を破壊するのを防ぐにはどうしたらよいのかを詳述しています。エクソン・バルディーズ号事件では実際のところ何が起こったのか、有害藻類の繁殖がなぜ深刻な問題なのか、といったトピックも取り上げ、検討しています。後半では、医薬品、パーソナルケア製品、金属ナノ粒子など、大きな脅威として最近表面化してきた汚染物質について説明し、これらが水中から始まり、食物連鎖を経て人体に影響を及ぼす仕組みについて解説します。最終章では、気候変動や酸性化が海洋汚染レベルに及ぼす影響について、また、地域レベル、世界レベルでどのように汚染を減らすことができるのかについて考察しています。
     

• An engaging overview of the many facets of marine pollution, written in a lively question & answer format
• Covers major historical instances of pollution, such as the Exxon Valdez.
• Presents ideas on how to fix many of the pollution-related issues surrounding marine ecosystems.

      
Marine pollution occurs today in varied forms--chemical, industrial, and agricultural-and the sources of pollution are endless. In recent history, we've seen oil spills, untreated sewage, eutrophication, invasive species, heavy metals, acidification, radioactive substances, marine litter, and overfishing, among other significant problems. Though marine pollution has long been a topic of concern, it has very recently exploded in environmental, economic, and political debate circles; scientists and non-scientists alike continue to be shocked and dismayed at the sheer diversity of water pollutants and the many ways they can come to harm our environment and our bodies. 
    
In Marine Pollution: What Everyone Needs to Know, Judith Weis covers marine pollution from numerous angles, each fascinating in its own right. Beginning with its sources and history, she discusses common pollutants, why they are harmful, why they cause controversy, and how we can prevent them from destroying our aquatic ecosystems. Questions ask what actually happened with the Exxon Valdez, and why harmful algal blooms are a serious concern. Covering pollutants that are only now surfacing as major threats, such as pharmaceuticals, personal care products, and metal nanoparticles, she explains how these can begin in the water and progress up the food chain to emerge in human bodies. Looking at the effects of climate change and acidification on marine pollution levels, we learn how we can begin to reduce pollution at the local and global levels.