Environmental pollution control microbiology is an exciting and challenging area of science and engineering. It is concerned with protecting people from pathogenic micro-organisms and the application of microbiology to solve a wide range of environmental pollution problems. Both science and engineering are involved in pollution control. Scientists determine the environmental problems and evaluate different solutions, whereas engineers utilize the information supplied by scientists to design the most efficient systems to solve the environmental problems. The concept of environmental pollution control microbiology has its roots in conventional microbiology with concerns for pathogenic micro-organisms and public health. It can even be traced in chemistry, which forms the basis of all reactions between chemical compounds that make up our world, and in biochemistry, which focuses on the chemistry of biological systems. In fact, microbiology encompasses several scientific fields such as bacteriology, virology, mycology, phycology, protozoology, zoology, biotechnology and mathematics. Handbook of Environmental Microbiology in 3 volumes is the first reference textbook of its kind dealing with a broad spectrum of environmental pollution problems. Vol. 1 deals with topics such as environmental microbiology; public health microbiology; wastewater treatment; and microbial aspects of drinking water treatment. Vol. 2 deals with aeromicrobiology; soil, rhizosphere and phyllosphere; subsurface and landfills; acquatic environments; composting of agricultural residues by microbial methods; and disposal of organic wastes, etc. Vol. 3 covers environmental microbiology for chemical, food processing and metallurgical industry; biodegradation; biotransformation; and immobilization techniques and their industrial uses, etc. Glossary and Index have been provided at the end for quick reference, and text has been supplemented with exhibits and tables. All topics have been covered in a cogent and lucid style. This reference book is essential reading for the students, teachers and researchers on environmental science. It caters to the requirements of syllabi prescribed in various universities for undergraduate and postgraduate students as well as those pursuing professional courses in chemical engineering, biochemical engineering and agricultural engineering. It is also a valuable source of information for policymakers, executives, industrialists and professionals concerned with environmental science, microbiology, biotechnology and life sciences.

Table of Contents:
Volume 2 SECTION I—Aeromicrobiology 1. Basic Concepts of Aeromicrobiology 2. Sampling and Analysis of Airborne Micro-organisms 3. Fate and Transport of Micro-organisms in Air 4. Airborne Fungi and Mycotoxins 5. Airborne Endotoxin 6. Airborne Viruses 7. Aeromicrobiology of Agricultural Pathogens SECTION II—Soil, Rhizosphere and Phyllosphere 8. Soil Microbes 9. Methods for Sampling Soil Microbes 10. Sampling Microbes from the Rhizosphere and Phyllosphere 11. Sampling Viruses from Soil 12. Isolation In Planta Detection and Culture of Endophytic Bacteria and Fungi 13. Methods of Soil Microbial Community Analysis 14. PCR Applications for Plant and Soil Microbes 15. Quantification of Nitrogen Transformations 16. Quantifying the Metabolic Activity of Soil and Plant Associated Microbes 17. Assessment of Extracellular Enzymatic Activity in Soil 18. Antibiotic, Chromogenic and Luminescent Markers for Bacteria 19. Quantification of Gene Transfer in Soil and the Phytosphere 20. Research Methods for Micro-organisms Interacting with Arthropods in Soil SECTION III—Sub-surface and Landfills 21. Overview of Issues in Sub-surface and Landfill Microbiology 22. Drilling, Coring and Sampling Sub-surface Environments 23. Anaerobic Decomposition of Refuse in Landfills 24. Determining the Terminal Electron-Accepting Reaction 25. Transport of Micro-organisms in the Terrestrial Sub-surface 26. Oil Field Microbiology SECTION IV—Aquatic Environments 27. Cultivation of Microbial Consortia and Communities 28. Community Structure: Viruses 29. Biomass, Growth Rate and Production of Filamentous Fungi 30. Colonisation, Adhesion, Aggregation and Biofilms SECTION V—Special Topics 31. Molecular Biology 32. Reporter Gene Systems Useful in Evaluating Soil and Plant 33. Microbiology and Control of Anaerobic Digestion 34. Biocides and Their Importance 35. Composting of Agricultural Residues by Microbiological Methods 36. Bioenergy from Wastes References Index