本书由美国亚利桑那大学土壤、水与环境科学系的三位教授Raina M.Maier，Ian L.Pepper和Charles P.Gerba及约10位专家、博士、研究人员共同编著的Environmental Microbiology改编而成，原书涵盖面广、信息量大，是一本较好的环境微生物学教科书。根据国内教学大纲和实际情况，对原书进行了必要的改动和调整，主要保留了环境工程微生物学的基础理论、基本原理、研究环境工程微生物的现代分子生物学方法及微生物在污染治理中的应用等相关内容。使之既能满足国内的教学计划和学时要求，又能使我们“原汁原味”地吸收国外先进的学科理论与技术。

本书既阐明了环境工程微生物学的基本原理，又介绍了微生物在修复污染环境、处理废水等方面的应用。本书注重基础知识，同时强调新理论和新技术，内容丰富，图文并茂，系统详实。

其主要内容包括：环境工程微生物学的基础知识，环境微生物的种类、形态、生理、遗传及其生长特征；分别介绍了微生物在土壤、水体以及大气中的生态分布，微生物与其生态环境的相互关系；系统地介绍了微生物在环境中的行为、活性以及研究其生态分布、数量、活性的新技术和新方法；较系统地论述了微生物在生态系统中的作用与功能，以及开发、强化生态功能进行污染环境的修复、废水和废弃物的处理等原理。本书既可作为环境工程、环境科学等相关专业本科生、研究生教材或参考书，也可作为环境工程、环境科学等相关领域技术人员的自学用书。

Chapter 1 Introduction to Environmental Microbiology

 1.1 Introduction

 1.2 An Historical Perspective

 1.3 Modem Environmental Microbiology

 1.4 Purpose and Organization of This Text

Chapter 2 Microorganisms in the Environment

 2.1 Viruses

 2.2 Bacteria

 2.3 Fungi

 2.4 Algae

 2.5 Protozoa

Chapter 3 Bacterial Growth

 3.1 Growth in Pure Culture in a Flask

 3.2 Continuous Culture

 3.3 Growth under Aerobic Conditions

 3.4 Growth under Anaerobic Conditions

 3.5 Growth in the Environment

Chapter 4 Terrestrial Environments

 4.1 Introduction

 4.2 Porous Media

 4.3 Soil and Subsurface Environments

 4.4 General Characteristics of Microorganisms in Porous Media

 4.5 Microbial Activities in Porous Media

 4.6 Microorganisms in Surface Soils

 4.7 Microorganisms in Shallow Subsurface Environments

 4.8 Microorganisms in Deep Subsurface Environments

Chapter 5 Aquatic and Extreme Environments

 5.1 Introduction

 5.2 Microbial Habitats in the Aquatic Environment

 5.3 Aquatic Environments

 5.4 Environmental Determinants That Govern Extreme Environments

 5.5 Aquatic Microbes in the News

Chapter 6 Aeromicrobiology

 6.1 Introduction

 6.2 Important Airborne Pathogens

 6.3 Important Airborne Toxins

 6.4 Nature of Bioaerosols

 6.5 The Atmosphere

 6.6 Aeromicrobiological Pathway

 6.7 Sampling Devices for the Collection of Bioaerosols

 6.8 Microbial Survival in the Air

 6.9 Extramural Aeromicrobiology

 6.10 Intramural Aeromicrobiology

 6.11 Bioaerosol Control

 6.12 Biosafety in the Laboratory

 6.13 Other Areas of Interest

Chapter 7 Microbial Transport

 7.1 Introduction

 7.2 Factors Affecting Microbial Transport

 7.3 Factors Affecting Transport of DNA

 7.4 Novel Approaches to Facilitate Microbial Transport

 7.5 Methodology for Studying Transport

 7.6 Models for Microbial Transport

Chapter 8 Cultural Methods

 8.1 Cultural Methods for Enumeration of Bacteria

 8.2 Cultural Media for Bacteria

 8.3 Cultural Methods for Fungi

 8.4 Cultural Methods for Algae and Cyanobacteria

 8.5 Cell Culture-Based Detection Methods for Viruses

Chapter 9 Biogeoehemieal Cycling

 9.1 Introduction

 9.2 Carbon Cycle

 9.3 Nitrogen Cycle

 9.4 Sulfur Cycle

Chapter 10 Microorganisms and Organic Pollutants

 10.1 Introduction

 10.2 Environmental Law

 10.3 The Overall Process of Biodegradation

 10.4 Relationship between Contaminant Structure, Toxicity, and Biodegradability

 10.5 Environmental Factors Affecting Biodegradation

 10.6 Biodegradation of Organic Pollutants

 10.7 Bioremediation

Chapter 11 Microorganisms and Metal Pollutants

 11.1 Cause for Concern

 11.2 Metals Defined

 11.3 Sources of Metals

 11.4 Metal Bioavailability in the Environment

 11.5 Metal Toxicity Effects on the Microbial Cell

 11.6 Mechanisms of Microbial Metal Resistance and Detoxification

 11.7 Methods for Studying Metal-Microbial Interactions

 11.8 Adverse Effects of Microbial Metal Transformations

 11.9 The Benefits of Metal-Microbial Interactions

 11.10 Physical/Chemical Methods of Metal Remediation

 11.11 Innovative Microbial Approaches in the Remediation of Metal-Contaminated Soils and Sediments

 11.12 Innovative Microbial Approaches in the Remediation of Metal-Contaminated Aquatic Systems

Chapter 12 Indicator Microorganisms

 12.1 The Concept of Indicator Organisms

 12.2 Total Coliforms

 12.3 Fecal Coliforms

 12.4 Fecal Streptococci

 12.5 Clostridium perfringens

 12.6 Heterotrophic Plate Count

 12.7 Bacteriophage

 12.8 Other Indicator Organisms

 12.9 Standards and Criteria for Indicators

Chapter 13 Nucleic Acid-Based Methods of Analysis

 13.1 Structure and Complementarity of Nucleic Acids

 13.2 Obtaining Microbial Nucleic Acids from the Environment

 13.3 Nucleic Acid-Based Methods

Chapter 14 Domestic Wastes and Waste Treatment

 14.1 Domestic Wastewater

 14.2 Modem Wastewater Treatment

 14.3 Oxidation Ponds

 14.4 Septic Tanks

 14.5 Land Application of Wastewater

 14.6 Wetlands and Aquaculture Systems

 14.7 Solid Waste

Chapter 15 Drinking Water Treatment and Distribution

 15.1 Water Treatment Processes

 15.2 Water Distribution Systems

 15.3 Assimilable Organic Carbon