Identifying and Classifying the Sources and Uses of Xenobiotics in Urban Environments

Abstract

The sources and uses of xenobiotics in urban environments are very diverse, making structured approaches\rto source and use classification a fundamental requirement for effective pollution management. This\rchapter provides a general introduction to the topic of substance source and use identification, highlighting\rthe key differences between different types of sources (e.g. processes vs. commodities; natural vs.\ranthropogenic etc.) and different types of uses (e.g. active vs. passive; dispersive vs. non-dispersive,\retc.). Examples of relevant classification systems and their applications are also given, and the diversity\rof potential xenobiotic sources and uses is clearly demonstrated through the description of a series of\r‘archetypes’ (i.e. model examples). The chapter concludes with an overview of useful source tracking\rapproaches (e.g. database mining, marketing surveys, forensic approaches etc.).