x
Preface
wherever new chemical technology is being developed or critically reviewed. This
also certainly includes students and their instructors, particularly on the master’s
level across chemistry, engineering, and environmental science disciplines.
Given the broad range of often complex topics that this book addresses, it is
not intended to be a resource for specialists within single, specific fields. Instead,
the focus is placed on presenting readers with many of the fundamental and most
important principles within each field without getting lost in the discipline-specific
details. For those interested in a deeper discussion and understanding of specific
concepts, links to relevant literature sources are provided.
The transdisciplinary approach taken in this book is unique. It does not require
readers to have extensive theoretical or technical background knowledge, but it
does demand that they have the willpower to take a step back and examine the
bigger picture. Compared to 20 years ago when the first edition of this book was
published, the world has continued to rapidly globalize with increasing volumes of
ever-more complex chemical products and processes entering the market. Safety
and the protection of human health and the environment are therefore as (if not
more) important to carefully consider today as they were then. I hope this book can
serve as a useful resource for those interested in helping to continuously improve
the responsible use of chemicals in the decades to come.
Zürich, Switzerland
Prof. Konrad Hungerbühler
January 2021
Preface
wherever new chemical technology is being developed or critically reviewed. This
also certainly includes students and their instructors, particularly on the master’s
level across chemistry, engineering, and environmental science disciplines.
Given the broad range of often complex topics that this book addresses, it is
not intended to be a resource for specialists within single, specific fields. Instead,
the focus is placed on presenting readers with many of the fundamental and most
important principles within each field without getting lost in the discipline-specific
details. For those interested in a deeper discussion and understanding of specific
concepts, links to relevant literature sources are provided.
The transdisciplinary approach taken in this book is unique. It does not require
readers to have extensive theoretical or technical background knowledge, but it
does demand that they have the willpower to take a step back and examine the
bigger picture. Compared to 20 years ago when the first edition of this book was
published, the world has continued to rapidly globalize with increasing volumes of
ever-more complex chemical products and processes entering the market. Safety
and the protection of human health and the environment are therefore as (if not
more) important to carefully consider today as they were then. I hope this book can
serve as a useful resource for those interested in helping to continuously improve
the responsible use of chemicals in the decades to come.
Zürich, Switzerland
Prof. Konrad Hungerbühler
January 2021