Ground Water Contamination: Transport and Remediation

Rating:
Summary: I switched from our own text to this more current version
Review: I teach a course at the University of Oklahoma on the topic of this text. Actually, colleagues and I published a now outdated text on the same subject in the early 90s. I compared this text with other available texts and selected it to replace our own volume. While not perfect (what textbook is) I found this revised edition to be a valuable introduction to the subject. I liked the way it covers not only the fundamental processes governing fate and transport but also has sections discussing the applied aspects of the subject (remediation, characterization, etc.). The authors have taken great effort to make sure the updated version is very current -- I can especially speak to this in the specific areas of my research. Admittedly, I did supplement the text in certain areas, but I do this with every class I teach (and did it with our own text). And different professors supplement on different topics in keeping with their personal interests. Based on my experience with the text, and feedback from students, I definitely plan to use it again.

Rating:
Summary: I switched from our own text to this more current version
Review: I teach a course at the University of Oklahoma on the topic of this text. Actually, colleagues and I published a now outdated text on the same subject in the early 90s. I compared this text with other available texts and selected it to replace our own volume. While not perfect (what textbook is) I found this revised edition to be a valuable introduction to the subject. I liked the way it covers not only the fundamental processes governing fate and transport but also has sections discussing the applied aspects of the subject (remediation, characterization, etc.). The authors have taken great effort to make sure the updated version is very current -- I can especially speak to this in the specific areas of my research. Admittedly, I did supplement the text in certain areas, but I do this with every class I teach (and did it with our own text). And different professors supplement on different topics in keeping with their personal interests. Based on my experience with the text, and feedback from students, I definitely plan to use it again.

Rating:
Summary: It works for me
Review: I teach a graduate course in groundwater contaminant transport each year, and I have used several texts in the last 15 years. The latest edition of Bedient et al. is the best current overall reference for this course. Few texts mention characterization and remediation at the same level of detail, and this text has the most complete presentation of analytical transport solutions with problems that demonstrate their use. In my course I stress application of computer modeling tools (which I must provide separately), but this text provides a fine foundation to my students' physical and chemical understanding of the available models.

Rating:
Summary: It works for me
Review: I teach a graduate course in groundwater contaminant transport each year, and I have used several texts in the last 15 years. The latest edition of Bedient et al. is the best current overall reference for this course. Few texts mention characterization and remediation at the same level of detail, and this text has the most complete presentation of analytical transport solutions with problems that demonstrate their use. In my course I stress application of computer modeling tools (which I must provide separately), but this text provides a fine foundation to my students' physical and chemical understanding of the available models.

Rating:
Summary: Please, the errors! The errors!
Review: If I can speak for myself and my classmates,

We have taken a graduate level contaminant groundwater class at one of the City University of New York branches throughout the last semester. As a group of students that actually read through books and work out problem sets that are provided, we were baffled to see all of the typographical, graphical, and equation errors that abound throughout. How can a book that is supposed to be used by people in groundwater professions not have a scientific editor go through it with a fine toothed comb? In this case, any comb would have been adequate to spot the errors. At a certain level in the sciences, professionals turn to reference texts that will aid them through certain problems. Equations that are crucial for modeling contaminant transport are definitely not made for memorization. Unfortunately, this book has fundamental problems with these equations and will never be part of my professional library. We thought we ran into a short barrier when we found errors in the beginning of the class. We then realized that we were to be plagued by grotesque errors throughout. Save your ninety dollars and buy something by Fetter. Or at least burn this when you are done highlighting and correcting. Better yet, wait for the revised third edition.

Rating:
Summary: Use of Book for Litigation Support
Review: My firm provides litigation support services to attorneys. We found Dr. Bedient's book to be very useful both as a reference and as a means of educating our clients who typically have limited technical capabilities in the area of groundwater hydrology. The book covers a variety of topics, all in sufficient detail, I believe. It is well written and organized, for easy reference. If the authors write a sequel, I suggest additional case studies that discuss some of the environmental "mysteries" out there!